killed and wounded, among them, Captain Higly,
a most valuable officer, who was commanding a battallion and was killed in
the thickest of the fight while encouraging and leading on his men.

The rebels held their ground until a detachment of the 9th army corps came
up, charging them and driving them from the field at dusk.

They retreated during the night, and our command pursued them in the
morning, following closely all the next day, and had a spirited skirmish
at Raytown in which several were lost on both sides. Night coming on, we
went into camp, continuing our pursuit in the morning as far as Jonesboro,
and on the following day we moved toward Bluntsville, camping for the
night, a few miles from town.

One battallion under Capt. Copeland, was ordered to make a scout to this
place, but meeting the rebel pickets, he returned to camp, losing one man
killed, James Barnes of Co. E.

The next day, October the 14th, the column moved on toward the town
driving the rebels from the place.

They continued their retreat through Zollecoffer and Bristol. We followed
and burnt the bridge at Zollecoffer, on our way and captured at Bristol
two locomotives and fifty cars, which were all destroyed, besides a
considerable amount of commissary store.

The men carrying away all the sugar they could manage.

The task being accomplished, the command fell back through Bluntsville and
Kingsport to Rogersville, pressing all the horses that could be found, and
remained there sometime, nothing particular occurring save the usual
scouting in an enemy's country.

About this time the regiment was deprived of its Colonel, he being placed
in command of a brigade, and Major McIntyre succeeded to the command.

About the 4th of November, Gen. Shackelford, commanding the Cavalry
Division, received information that a rebel force, 4000 strong, was
approaching Rogersville by the way of Jonesville, Va.

He therefore ordered Col. Garrard to send a scouting party to that place.

A detail of 50 men from the Seventh being made, Capt. Rankin was ordered
to take command. Before the scouts returned, the enemy made their
appearance by the way of Kingsport.

In order that you may fully understand the event which I am about to
describe, it is necessary that I should describe the country and the
locality, our camp and its approaches.

The country here is alternately mountain and valley, running nearly
parallel east and west, with occasional narrow pass