, parallel with our route,
evidently with the intention of getting in our front, which made it
necessary for us to march all night, though the command was in no
condition to do so, and, to add still more to my embarrassment, a
portion of our ammunition had become damaged in crossing Will's Creek,
which, at the time, was very deep fording. I only halted at Gadsden
sufficiently long to destroy a quantity of arms and commissary stores
found there, and proceeded on. Many of our animals and men were
entirely worn out and unable to keep up with the column; consequently
they fell behind the rear guard and were captured.

It now became evident to me that our only hope was in crossing the
river at Rome and destroying the bridge, which would delay Forrest a
day or two and give us time to collect horses and mules, and allow
the command a little time to sleep, without which it was impossible to
proceed.

The enemy followed closely, and kept up a continuous skirmish with the
rear of the column until about 4 p. m., at which time we reached
Blount's plantation, about fifteen miles from Gadsden, where we could
procure forage for our animals. Here I decided to halt, as it was
impossible to continue the march through the night without feeding and
resting, although to do so was to bring on a general engagement.
Accordingly, the command was dismounted, and a detail made to feed the
horses and mules, while the balance of the command formed in line of
battle on a ridge southwest of the plantation.

Meanwhile the rear guard, in holding the enemy in check, had become
severely engaged and was driven in. The enemy at once attacked our
main line, and tried hard to carry the center, but were gallantly met
and repulsed by the Fifty-first and Seventy-third Indiana, assisted by
Major Vananda, with two mountain howitzers. They then made a
determined effort to turn our right, but were met by the gallant
Eightieth Illinois, assisted by two companies of the Third Ohio.

The enemy, with the exception of a few skirmishers, then fell back to
a ridge some half a mile distant, and commenced massing his force, as
if preparing for a more determined attack. It was becoming dark, and I
decided to withdraw unobserved, if possible, and conceal my command in
a thicket some half a mile to our rear, there to lie in ambush and