itzers. With them we could have
battered it down directly. It was lucky that Hutchinson had caught the
garrison of the first one captured, outside of its walls, and as they
attempted to enter, his men rushed in with them. The other stockade
taken, surrendered without firing a shot. This was a very exciting day;
the chase and succession of skirmishes made the whole affair very
interesting.

Returning to Gallatin, we met the people of the adjacent country coming
with vehicles of every description to convey their recaptured friends
back home. The latter weary and footsore, were plodding along as best
they might, except when our men would take them behind them or dismount
and let them ride their horses. There was a scene of wild
congratulation in town, that evening, when they all got in. That night
the entire command encamped in the fair grounds. About 12 o'clock,
Colonel Morgan received information that a formidable Federal force had
passed through Hartsville on the previous afternoon, and was encamped at
Castalian Springs, ten miles from Gallatin. He ordered the pickets to be
strengthened in that direction, and shrewd scouts were put out to watch
their movements closely, but he did not disturb the command, wishing
that it should be rested for the next day's work. He had been informed
that infantry and artillery composed this force, as well as cavalry, and
he knew that if the latter waited on the former, he was in no danger of
being forced into a fight that it might be imprudent to make. In the
morning the scouts came in, saying that the enemy were rapidly
advancing. The column was immediately put in motion, moving toward the
enemy, but it was Colonel Morgan's intention to decline battle until
more positively informed of the enemy's strength, and when he reached
the junction of the Hartsville and Scottsville turnpikes, at the eastern
edge of the town, he turned off on the Scottsville pike, which runs
nearly at right angles to the other, and northeast.

The enemy, in the meantime, were pressing on vigorously, driving in the
scouts and pickets. Colonel Morgan and myself had taken position at the
junction of the two roads, as the column filed past, and fearing that we
would be taken in flank, or that our rear would be attacked after the
entire command had taken the Scottsville road, I advised him to form and
fight, saying that I believed we could whip them. He answered that he
could "get fights enough, but could not easily g