a-sprawling on my back! There were two loads in my gun! My last
preceding charge had missed fire, and in the excitement of the moment
and the confusion and uproar around me, I had failed to notice it, and
rammed home another load. But I regained my feet instantly, and eagerly
looked to see the effect of my shot. Nobody was lying on the ground,
but that entire party was leaving the spot, in a gallop, with their
heads bent forward and their coat tails flying behind them. Their
curiosity was evidently satisfied. There is no mistake that I sent two
bullets through the center of that squad, but whether they hit anybody
or not I don't know.

At a point about a mile or so from where we left the train, we reached
one of our railroad block houses, held by a small garrison. Here we
halted, and reformed. As I came slowly trudging up to Co. D, Bill
Banfield was talking to Lieut. Wallace, and said: "I guess Stillwell's
gone up. Haven't seen him since we crossed that creek." I stepped
forward and in a brief remark, containing some language not fitting for
a Sunday-school superintendent, informed Bill that he was laboring
under a mistake.

Soon after we arrived at the blockhouse a strong force of our troops,
having marched out that morning from Murfreesboro, also appeared on the
ground. Gen. Rousseau had learned that we were attacked, and had sent
these troops to our assistance, but they were too late. He had also
sent a detachment to this point the evening before, to meet us, but on
account of our being delayed, as before stated, we did not appear, so
this party, after waiting till some time after sunset, marched back to
Murfreesboro.

In this affair we lost, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, about half
the regiment, including Col. Grass, who was captured. He was a
heavy-set man, somewhat fleshy, and at this time a little over forty
years old. He became completely exhausted on our retreat, (being on
foot,) tumbled over, and the Confederates got him. Many years later,
when we were both living in Kansas, I had an interesting conversation
with him about this affair. He told me that his sole reason for
ordering the retreat was that he had ascertained shortly before the
artillery opened on us, that our cartridges were almost exhausted.
Then, when our assailants brought their artillery into play, he
realized, he said, that the train was doomed, that it would soon be
knocked to pieces, and also set on fire by the balls and shells of the