ike, does not conceal the fact that he
and those around him were very badly whipped. After joining Van Dorn
he resumed his old habit of standing around "observing the enemy." He
reports that he did this for two hours at a stretch when Curtis was
delivering the final crushing blows upon Van Dorn. He then moved
with much promptness toward the rear, for an officer came up with the
stunning intelligence, "You are not safe here, for the enemy's
cavalry are within 150 yards of you." This seemed to have escaped his
"observation" up to that time. He rode on, and his pace was accelerated
by hearing another officer cry out "Close up; close up; or you will all
be cut to pieces."

He halted presently, but had to start again, for a shell was sent by the
enemy up the road from the point of the hill around which he had just
passed. The cry of "The cavalry are coming was raised, and everything
became confusion." He escaped the "enemy's cavalry by rapid riding,"
but was unable to get ahead of his fastgoing troops and stop them,
until they reached Elm Spring, many miles away. He came to this sage
conclusion:

The enemy, I learn, had been encamped at Pea Vine Ridge for
three weeks, and Sigel's advance was but a ruse to induce
our forces to march northward and give them battle in
positions selected by themselves.

There were others who shared his feelings; for he says:

Just before night, Saturday afternoon, I had met Col. Rector
in the hills, who told me he had about 500 men with him;
that they were in such condition that they could not go more
than six or eight miles a day, and that he thought he would
take them into the mountains, hide their arms in a secure
place, and, as he could not keep them together and feed
them, let them disperse. He asked my opinion as to this, and
I told him that no one knew where the rest of the army was;
that Gens. Van Dorn and Price were supposed to be captured
and the train taken; that if his men dispersed with their
arms they would throw them away, and that I thought the
course he proposed was the wisest one under the
circumstances. The enemy were pursuing on all the roads, and
as it was almost impossible for even a dozen men in a body
to procure food, I still do not see what better he could
have done.

337

Curtis's cavalry found these guns and brought them into camp; also, all
the artillery tha