e road from Crump's
Landing), to the Purdy road (from Pittsburg Landing), a distance
of about five miles; whereas the distance to the point to which
you was to march as designated in the order, _via_ Pittsburg
Landing, would have been at least twelve miles. Perhaps I should
here state that this order was not signed by any one, but coming
as it did through one of the Staff Officers of the Commanding
General, could not be questioned. I would also state in this
connection, that when I met Captain Baxter first, I asked him
how things were going. He replied that Grant was driving the
enemy at all points. Had this been the case, the order as
delivered by Captain Baxter would have been all right, as we
could then have joined General Sherman as directed therein.
Within ten minutes after the receipt of the order, the troops
were on the road.

When we were about one mile from where we expected to join
General Sherman, we were overtaken by a messenger from General
Grant, Captain (since Colonel) Rowley, I believe, who informed
you that our troops had been defeated all along the line, and
driven back, till the right was within half a mile of the river,
and that the road we were on, would, if followed up, lead us
into the rear of the enemy. This being the case, it became
necessary to find some other way to form a junction with the
army. In order to do so, every mounted man attached to your
Head-Quarters was dispatched to find, if possible, some way to
get round the enemys' left without going back to the starting
point, or to find some resident to guide us by the nearest
possible route. Finally a man was found who was compelled to
act as guide. Nevertheless the march was continued as rapidly
as possible, until we joined the right of the army, just after
dark, in the position in which it lay when the battle closed for
the day. Badeau also says: "General Wallace was set right by
Captain (afterwards Colonel) Rowley, and Colonel (afterwards
Major General) McPherson, both at the time upon General Grant's
staff; that they set him right at 1 o'clock, and it took him
till seven to march five miles." It was near 1 o'clock when we
were overtaken by Rowley, but instead of having but five miles
to march, the distance could not have been less than eleven or
twelve miles. The first seen of General