Siegel was joining us and we were preparing for the battle, some of these
scouts came to me and told me that Van Dorn proposed to move to our rear
by this Little Cross Timber road. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon I went
to General Curtis and reported these facts to him, and also told him of
this road and of the feasibility of blockading it, supposing, of course,
he would send some of the troops on his extreme right to do it; but he
turned to me and said: "You take a portion of your command and go there
and blockade the road."

It was after dark before I could reach the Little Cross Timbers, as I had
to march infantry to the place, which was quite a distance away from where
we were. I took six companies of the Fourth Iowa Infantry and one company
of the Third Illinois Cavalry and marched to carry out this order. In the
dark two of my companies crossed the road and got lost, while with the
other five I got into Cross Timbers Hollows and spent about three hours
felling trees all through the gorge, and only left when my cavalry
reported the movement of Van Dorn's Army coming down the road. I returned
to my camp supposing my two companies had been cut off, but upon
discovering that the enemy were coming down the road they managed to get
back across it and reached the camp.

I reported immediately to General Curtis's headquarters, and informed him
that Van Dorn's Army was moving down that road to his rear. He did not
believe it, and thought that I had mistaken some of his cavalry for Van
Dorn's Army. There were no pickets out on our right flank, and I so
reported to General Curtis, but evidently my report made no impression
upon him, and I returned to camp.

Early on the morning of the 7th of March I received a request from General
Curtis to report at a schoolhouse that was on the main Fayetteville road a
half mile north of Sugar Creek, where I met all the commanders of
Divisions, and, I think, some of the Brigade commanders, and where a
council of war was being held as to the policy that was to be pursued. I
was so confident that Van Dorn was in our rear that when I went to this
council I took my Brigade and halted it on the road near where the council
was to be held. Generals Siegel, Asboth, and a majority of the officers
present, advised that we should fall back to Cassville towards
Springfield, and not give battle there, but Colonel Jeff C. Davis and
myself protested, and I stated that I believed a portion of Van Dorn'