ion from this position, pursued
closely by Vaughan's foremost battalions. At Morristown a regiment, just
arrived upon the cars, and a piece of artillery, checked the pursuit for
a short time, and enabled the enemy to reform. They were again driven,
and making another and a last stand a short distance beyond the town,
abandoned all further resistance when that failed to stop us.

Then the spoils began to be gathered, and were strewn so thickly along
the road that the pursuit was effectually retarded. Major Day, of
Vaughan's brigade, followed, however, beyond New Market, more than
twenty-five miles from the point where the affair commenced, and the
rest of us halted when day had fairly broken. More than one hundred
ambulances and wagons were captured, loaded with baggage; six pieces of
artillery, with caissons and horses, and many prisoners. The rout and
disintegration of Gillem's command was complete.

On the next day we moved to New Market, and, when all the troops had
gotten up, proceeded to Strawberry Plains, seven miles beyond. Here the
enemy, posted in strong fortifications, were prepared to contest our
further advance. We remained here three or four days.

Shelling and sharpshooting was kept up during the day, and a picket
line, which required our entire strength, was maintained at night. The
Holston river, deep and swollen, was between us, the enemy held the
bridge and neither of the combatants ventured an attack. Vaughan was
sent across the river at an upper ford and had another brush with
Gillem, who came out from Knoxville with a few of his men whom he had
collected and reorganized. He was easily driven back. General
Breckinridge was called away to Wytheville by rumors of an advance of
the enemy in another quarter, and we fell back to New Market and shortly
afterward to Mossy creek, eleven miles from Strawberry plains.

Some ten days after our withdrawal from the latter place, reports
reached us that a large force was being collected at Beau's Station,
upon the north side of the Holston. These reports were shortly
confirmed. We withdrew to Russellville, and subsequently to Greenville.
To have remained further down would have exposed the rest of the
department entirely. Having the short route to Bristol, the enemy could
have outflanked and outmarched us, and getting first to the important
points of the department, which they would have found unguarded, they
could have captured and destroyed all that was worth