await his advance. In the meantime I had ordered Captain Milton
Russell (Fifty-first Indiana) to take two hundred of the best-mounted
men, selected from the whole command, and proceed to Rome, and hold
the bridge until the main command could come up.

The engagement at Blount's plantation revealed the fact that nearly
all of our remaining ammunition was worthless, on account of having
been wet. Much of that carried by the men had become useless by the
paper wearing out and the powder sifting away. It was in this
engagement that the gallant Colonel Hathaway (Seventy-third Indiana)
fell, mortally wounded, and in a few moments expired. Our country has
seldom been called upon to mourn the loss of so brave and valuable an
officer. His loss to me was irreparable. His men had almost worshiped
him, and when he fell it cast a deep gloom of despondency over his
regiment which was hard to overcome.

We remained in ambush but a short time when the enemy, who by some
means had learned of our whereabouts, commenced a flank movement,
which we discovered in time to check. I then decided to withdraw as
silently as possible, and push on in the direction of Rome, but as a
large number of the men were dismounted, their animals having given
out, and the remainder of the stock was so jaded, tender-footed, and
worn down, our progress was necessarily slow; yet, as everything
depended on our reaching Rome before the enemy could throw a
sufficient force there to prevent our crossing the bridge, every
possible effort was made to urge the command forward. We proceeded
without interruption until we reached the vicinity of Centre, when one
of my scouts informed me that a force of the enemy was posted in
ambush but a short distance in our front. I immediately threw forward
a line of skirmishers, with orders to proceed until they were fired
upon, when they should open a brisk fire on the enemy, and hold their
position until the command had time to pass.

The plan worked admirably, for, while my skirmishers were amusing the
enemy, the main column made a detour to the right, and struck the main
road some three miles to the rear of the enemy. As soon as our main
force had passed, the skirmishers withdrew and fell in the rear of the
column. I was then hopeful that we could reach Rome before the enemy
could overtak