been written on a scrap of
paper, it was lost after coming into my hands; a matter which I
much regret, as I feel confident that its production now would
conclusively demonstrate that you obeyed the command contained
in it. I remember, however, distinctly, that it was a written
order to march and form a junction with the right of the army,
which was understood to be the right of the army as it rested on
the morning when the battle began. Suffice it to say, that the
division marched at once, and took the road which had been
previously ascertained as leading to the right of the army, in
the position it occupied on the morning of the sixth, and
previous to that time. The road was then patrolled and picketted
by cavalry detachments of your command. By your permission, I
was marching with the advance guard, comprised of several
companies of the Twenty-fourth Indiana Volunteers, Lieutenant
Colonel Berber, commanding. We marched very rapidly, and to
judge from the sound of the battle, we were approaching it fast.
The advanced guard had reached the crossing of Snake Creek, near
a mill, or some large building, where a bridge had been
constructed, and from that point we could see the smoke
overhanging the battle-field and distinctly hear the musketry,
when an order was received, to retrace our steps, and work our
way to the head of the column. We marched back at once, almost
to our starting place, where we found the column was marching
through the woods where there was no road (not even a trail
appeared) to save time and distance. The troops were marching
very fast, and I did not come up with you for perhaps two hours
after the advance guard received orders to countermarch.

When the column was put in motion on the river road, which must
have been after 4 o'clock, we were met by some staff officers of
General Grant, Major Rawlins and Colonel McPherson, and another
officer whom I did not know. They had some conversation with
you, and then, for the first time I learned that our troops had
been repulsed, and that we were then marching to join the right
of the army, in its new position, at Pittsburg Landing. After
some hard marching over execrable roads we reached our position
about dusk.

The road the division first marched on led directly to the right
of the army in its position