fight for the rescue of
the pro-slavery Kentuckians and haughty Tennesseeians, who were now
nearly annihilated. The historian of this campaign, General Brisbin, who
but a day or two previous to this battle had attempted to shoot one of
the brave black boys of the 6th for retaliating for the murder of one
of his comrades by shooting a confederate prisoner, thus writes,
twenty-two years afterwards, about the battle and the conduct of the
6th:

"Early in the day General Stoneman had sent General Gillem
off to the right with orders to get in Breckenridge's rear
and if possible cut him off from the salt works. It was
believed the Kentucky troops could handle Breckenridge until
Gillem could strike in the rear, but the action in front
about noon became terrific and Gillem was recalled to aid
Burbridge. Our right flank had been driven back and our
extreme left was almost at right angles with the original
position held early in the morning. To add to our
misfortunes, a party of Confederate cavalry had got in our
rear and captured some of our pack train. The packers had at
one time become demoralized and fell back almost into the
hands of the Confederates operating in our rear. General
Burbridge saw the movement, and drawing his revolver placed
himself in front of the leading packs and ordered them back,
but the crazy men kept on until the General wounded the man
who was leading them off, and with the aid of some officers
who used their sabres freely, the packs were forced back
into the timber close to our lines and compelled to stay
there. Thus over five hundred packs and animals were saved
to the army by the prompt action of the General and his
aids.

"At 3:30 o'clock the situation was critical in the extreme.
Colonel Boyle had been killed in leading a charge and his
regiment repulsed. The Twelfth Ohio Cavalry had promptly
come to Boyle's support and checked the confederates, who
were coming into our centre. The hospital in our rear, where
our sick were, had been charged, and for a short time was in
the hands of the enemy. Burbridge and Stoneman had their
headquarters on a little knoll near the centre of our line,
where they could see the fighting. The Confederate right, in
swinging around, had covered this hill and it was no longer
tenable. A lieutenant, in r