the road to Salem
and, when this brigade came up, they, too, wheeled and left,
and in less than ten minutes this now little band of colored
troops found themselves flanked. They then divided
themselves into three squads, and charged the enemy's lines;
one squad taking the old Corinth Road, then a by-road, to
the left. After a few miles, they came to a road leading to
Grand Junction. After some skirmishing, they arrived, with
the loss of one killed and one wounded.

"Another and the largest squad covered the retreat of the
white troops, completely defending them by picking up the
ammunition thrown away by them, and with it repelling the
numerous assaults made by the rebel cavalry, until they
reached Collierville, a distance of sixty miles. When the
command reached Dan's Mills, the enemy attempted to cut it
off by a charge; but the colored boys in the rear formed,
and repelled the attack, allowing the whole command to pass
safely on, when they tore up the bridge. Passing on to an
open country, the officers halted, and re-organized the
brigade into an effective force. They then moved forward
until about four, P. M.; when some Indian flank skirmishers
discovered the enemy, who came up to the left, and in the
rear, and halted. Soon a portion advanced, when a company
faced about and fired, emptying three saddles. From this
time until dark, the skirmishing was constant.

"A corporal in Company C, Fifty-ninth, was ordered to
surrender. He let his would-be captor come close to him;
when he struck him with the butt of his gun.

"While the regiment was fighting in a ditch, and the order
came to retreat, the color-bearer threw out the flag,
designing to jump out and get it; but the rebels rushed for
it, and in the struggle one of the boys knocked down with
his gun the reb who had the flag, caught it, and ran.

"A rebel, with an oath, ordered one of our men to surrender.
He, thinking the reb's gun was loaded, dropped his gun; but,
on seeing the reb commence loading, our colored soldier
jumped for his gun, and with it struck his captor dead.

"Capt. H., being surrounded by about a dozen rebels, was
seen by one of his men, who called several of his
companions; they rushed forward and fired, killing several
of the enemy, and rescue