ne had sent the companies in
advance of the First Kentucky, by what looked like a cattle-path, to a
position in the woods where they might intercept the retreating enemy,
or at least annoy them. The Confederates were moving to the south by
the pike and each side of it, the infantry passing through the miry
region. The Riverlawn portion continued on the same road till they came
in sight of the intrenchments on the north side of the Cumberland,
where the rear of Major Lyon's command was drawn up.

At this time in the afternoon no considerable portion of the enemy had
advanced near their intrenchments, and there appeared to be nothing for
the squadron to do. The major wanted to know what his son had been
doing; and Deck gave him a brief account of his operations at the
meadow. Not a man had been lost in the affair, which had been fought by
the sharpshooters behind the trees near the point. The artillery's guns
were still booming on the air in the distance.

Captain Woodbine had chosen the position to be occupied by the
squadron; and he had sent the remainder of the regiment to which it
nominally belonged to a point farther north, for reasons of his own
which he did not explain, but probably he desired to keep the
Riverlawns by themselves.

The riflemen were now reunited; and while Deck was telling his story to
his father, Captain Woodbine conducted the body, now under the command
of Captain Ripley, from the hill behind which the two companies of
cavalry were stationed, so that they could not be seen by the enemy, to
another hill which commanded the pike and the meadow. Here he posted
them, and gave the commander his orders.

From this height the sharpshooters could harass the enemy retreating
over the pike, and also the two regiments of infantry retiring over the
low ground, the first of which was within twenty rods of the hill. It
was evident that it was marching towards ground to the west of the
hill, where the ascent was less difficult. They were within range of
the riflemen, and the fight in this section of the field was extremely
likely to begin here. But the First Kentucky Cavalry was posted near
them, and would be obliged to bear the brunt of it.

Captain Woodbine went to these troopers, and moved them to a more
favorable position, where they could support the sharpshooters; for
they were nearly, if not quite, as efficient as a battery would have
been in the same place. Directly in front of the Riverlawn Cavalr