rched several
miles, when they attacked our rear guard vigorously. I again succeeded
in ambuscading them, which caused them to give up the pursuit for the
night. We continued our march, and reached Blountsville about 10
o'clock in the morning. Many of our mules had given out, leaving their
riders on foot, but there was very little straggling behind the rear
guard.

At Blountsville we found sufficient corn to feed our tired and hungry
animals. Ammunition and rations were hastily distributed to the men,
and the remaining ammunition was put on pack-mules and the wagons
burned, as it was now understood that it would be impossible to take
them over the roads before us. After resting about two hours, we
resumed our march in the direction of Gadsden.

The column had not got fairly under motion before our pickets were
driven in, and a sharp skirmish ensued between Forrest's advance and
our rear guard, under Captain Smith, in the town of Blountsville. The
enemy followed closely for several miles, continually skirmishing with
the rear guard, but were badly handled by small parties of our men
stopping in the thick bushes by the side of the road and firing at
them at short range, and when we reached the East Branch of the Black
Warrior River the ford was very deep and the enemy pressed so closely
that I was compelled to halt and offer him battle before we could
cross. After some maneuvering, I advanced a heavy line of skirmishers,
who drove the enemy out of sight of my main line, when I ordered the
troops, except the skirmishers, to cross the river as rapidly as
possible. After all had crossed except the skirmishers, they were
rapidly withdrawn, under cover of our artillery, and a heavy line of
skirmishers thrown out on the opposite bank for that purpose. It was
about 5 p. m. when the last of the command crossed the East Branch of
the Black Warrior. We proceeded in the direction of Gadsden without
further interruption, with the exception of small parties who were
continually harassing the rear of the column, until about 9 o'clock
the next morning, May 2, when the rear guard was fiercely attacked at
the crossing of Black Creek, near Gadsden. After a sharp fight the
enemy was repulsed.

I had learned in the meantime, through my scouts, that a large column
of the enemy was moving on our left