over. Underneath each was thrown a man. When the rebels retreated
from the wood, we ceased firing and our cannoneers went to the
assistance of the mule guards. One man was severely bruised, though no
bones were broken. We had the mules taken out of the line of the enemy's
fire and they soon quieted down. General Longstreet was present in
command of his forces, reported to be 20,000 strong. Various assaults
were made by him against our lines that November afternoon, but we
repulsed them all with heavy loss to him. It was now nearly dark. The
plan of General Burnside was to withdraw to Knoxville as soon as he
could leave his lines in safety, under cover of night.

All the batteries went to the rear, except Benjamin's, and one section
of Buckley's under my command. I was instructed to take orders from
Lieutenant Benjamin and not withdraw until he so ordered. His battery
was slowly and accurately firing and much annoying the rebel batteries.
When it was so dark that one could not see twenty-five yards, he ordered
me to withdraw and proceed as fast as possible to Knoxville, not waiting
for him. I directed that my right or fifth piece should be first
limbered up. The men in charge of the mules that hauled this piece
attempted to drive them round to the trail, but they made only a few
steps and then planted their forward feet in the soft ground and stood
firm as Gibraltar. The guns were about 100 yards front of them, and I
soon decided that it would be easier to run our pieces back by hand than
to attempt to move the mules. Men from our division came to our
assistance, and we soon had the guns ready for marching.

My caissons, after having supplied from them the expended rounds of
ammunition from my gun limbers, had been sent back with the rest of the
battery, so that I had only my two guns to care for on my night retreat.
My cannoneers were so tired that I allowed them to take turns in riding
upon the limbers. This was our second night out and we were all
thoroughly exhausted. For thirty hours the men had not slept and had
partaken of but little food, mostly a small ration of corn bread. We
were preceded by the rest of our battery in Knoxville. I reached
Knoxville about 5 o'clock in the morning, and was directed to camp on
the right of our two sections just in the rear of Fort Saunders.

There was an Ohio battery attached to the Twenty-third Army Corps. We
made the march with them from Kentucky, and we were not a little
cha