as sent back through Mears to
Tuchlechy to create a diversion and hold the Gap while the expedition was
being made.

Our camp was then moved to Maryville where we remained a few days scouting
and skirmishing continually.

From here we moved back to Knoxville, making scouts occasionally on the
south side of the river toward Maryville and on the north side as far as
Strawberry Plains.

After remaining here about ten days the regiment moved out to Buffalo
creek a distance of forty miles.

As we had to subsist exclusively off of the country for forage and
provisions for men and the horses, and the supply becoming exhausted our
horses were reduced to skeletons and were no longer able to do duty.

Fifty of the strongest horses were selected from each Regiment accompanied
by Col. Garrard and moved east as far as Russelville, where they remained
two weeks scouting and skirmishing continually, having in some instances
hand to hand engagements.

In the meanwhile the regiment returned to the vicinity of Knoxville and
from there went out Clinch river to Wallace's road, remaining there a few
days it returned to Knoxville, being joined by the 50 men above mentioned.

We left on the 24th of March, 1864.

It is conceded by all parties that the campaign in East Tennessee, under
Gen. Burnside was the hardest campaign that has been experienced since the
commencement of this great struggle for the perpetuity of our nation.

The regiment reached Paris, Ky., April the 5th, camping in that vicinity a
few days, and then moving to Nicholasville where the work of refitting was
commenced.

Major Gen. Stoneman commanding the cavalry in this department.

Nothing of interest occurred here except that of sending companies into
different counties to protect the Provost Marshals, while they were
enrolling the negroes.

About the 10th of June it was ascertained that John Morgan was moving
toward Lexington. Gen. Stoneman having started with two brigades two weeks
previous to Georgia, Col. Garrard's brigade was all that were left in that
immediate vicinity.

On the 10th Col. Garrard moved his command to Lexington reaching there a
few hours after Morgan had left, who had entered the place in the morning,
robbed the banks and many of the stores of their valuables before he
departed.

After resting a few hours we continued our march to Paris reaching there
about daylight the following morning.

Here 200 men were sent out under Capt. Rankin