Brig. Gen.
B.W. DUKE, _Winter of 1864-'65_.]

Passing through Greenville at early dawn upon the second day after we
left Jonesboro', the column marched rapidly toward the gap. My brigade
was marching in advance. It was at this time three hundred and
twenty-two strong and was organized into two battalions, the first
commanded by Colonel Ward and the second by Colonel Morgan. About four
miles from Greenville, Captain Messick, whose Company A, of the second
battalion, was acting as advance-guard, encountered a scouting party of
the enemy fifty or sixty strong. Messick immediately attacked, routed
the party and chased it for several miles, taking eight or ten
prisoners. Pressing on again in advance, when the column had overtaken
him, he discovered the enemy in stronger force than before,
advantageously posted upon the further side of a little stream about two
miles from Lick creek. Halting his command here, Captain Messick,
accompanied by Lieutenant Hopkins, galloped across the bridge and toward
the enemy to reconnoiter. Approaching, despite the shots fired at them,
to within forty or fifty yards of the enemy, they were then saluted by a
volley from nearly two hundred rifles. Thinking it impossible, or
impolitic, to procure "further information" they rapidly galloped back.
Upon the approach of the column this party of the enemy fell back to
Lick creek, where it met or was reinforced by some two or three hundred
more. Lick creek is some three miles from Bull's gap. There were no
fords in the vicinity of the road and it was too deep for wading except
at one or two points. A narrow bridge spanned it at the point where it
crossed the road. On the side that we were approaching there is a wide
open space like a prairie, perhaps half a mile square. Thick woods
border this opening in the direction that we were coming and wooded
hills upon the left--running down to the edge of the creek.

Perceiving the enemy show signs of a disposition to contest our
crossing, my brigade was at once deployed to force a passage. A portion
of the second battalion was double-quicked, dismounted, across the open
to the thickets near the bank of the creek. Although exposed for the
entire distance to the fire of the enemy, this detachment suffered no
loss. One company of the second battalion was also sent to the right,
and took position near the creek in that quarter. The greater part of
the first battalion was sent, on foot, to the left, and, concealed