ommanded
by Captain Hare, out of Monticello and across the Cumberland
river--captured two prisoners. From this date until the 15th February,
we scouted and picketed the roads in every direction, and had good
rations and forage, with comfortable quarters, but heavy duty, the whole
regiment being on duty every two days. 'Tinker Dave' annoyed us so much
that we had to establish a chain picket every night around the entire
town. Colonel Jacob's Yankee regiment is at Creelsboro', twelve miles
distant, and Woolford's brigade is at Burkesville, fourteen miles
distant. Our little regiment is one hundred and twenty miles from
support, and it is only by vigilance and activity that we can save
ourselves. An order was received yesterday from the War Department
forever fixing our destiny with Morgan.

"Learning from newspapers, that our Scouts brought in, that Woolford
would make a speech in Burkesville on the 12th day of February, I
started from Albany, with two companies, early that morning, and forming
my men behind a hill, I watched from the bushes near the river the
assembling of the crowd at the court house. At 1 o'clock the bell rang.
A short time before that, the guard at the ferry, in four hundred yards
of the court house, composed almost entirely of soldiers, and after
speaking commenced I charged on foot to a school house immediately on
the banks of the river, and from there drove the pickets, that had
dismounted, away from their horses, and also broke up the speaking in
tremendous disorder. We killed a number of horses, and the killed and
wounded among the Yankees were seven. The boys christened the school
house Fort McCreary, but it did not last long, for the night after we
left the Yankees crossed the river and burned it.

"February 19th. Colonel Cluke passed within a few miles of us, and sent
an order from General Morgan for two companies. Companies D and E,
Captains Dickens and Terrill, were sent him.

"March 4th. By order of General Morgan I moved with three companies from
Albany to Monticello to-day; am camping in the town. The citizens are
hospitable and polite. Woolford, with a very large force, is around
Somerset. I am kept very busy picketing and scouting; it is General
Morgan's object to occupy all the country this side of the Cumberland
until Cluke's return from Kentucky.

"March 10th. To-day the balance of the regiment under Colonel Chenault
arrived at Monticello. We have raised one company of new recrui