o the Smithville and McMinnville road, in order to prevent any effort
of the enemy to surprise us upon that road. The wagon train had been
previously ordered to move through Smithville to McMinnville by this
same road. Some of Martin's men (dressed in blue overcoats) came out
upon the road, suddenly, in front of the train. The teamsters took them
to be Yankees, and the wildest stampede ensued. The teamsters and wagon
attachees ran in every direction, crazy with fright. Some turned their
teams and put back to Smithville, others floundered off of the road and
tried to drive through thickets that a child's toy cart could scarcely
have been hauled through. Many wagons were, consequently, smashed up
before the panic could be abated.

That night we encamped some fourteen miles from McMinnville. At this
date Colonel Gano's connection with the command ceased, and we lost the
benefit of his character as an officer and man. No officer had won more
and better merited distinction, and his popularity was justly very
great. Functional disease of the heart, brought about by exposure, hard
work and intense excitement, compelled him to withdraw, for a time, from
active service, and when he returned, with re-established health, to the
field, it was to win new laurels and accomplish brilliant work in the
Trans-Mississippi.

The division received more injury from this affair than I would have
supposed a hard fight and serious defeat would have done it. Nearly two
weeks were required to collect the fugitives.

General Morgan, on his way to join us on the night of the 3rd, met a
straggler, wandering loosely about, and demanded sternly why he was
absent from his regiment, "Well, General," answered the fellow,
ingenuously, "I'm scattered."

CHAPTER XIV.

On the 5th, the command under General Morgan, in person, moved to
Liberty, which the enemy had by this time evacuated. Scouts and pickets
were thrown out, but although the enemy were reported to be still at
Alexandria in large force, there was no collision even with his
videttes. After remaining at Liberty a few hours, General Morgan
withdrew, moving about ten o'clock at night, to Smithville again. He had
no desire to attack the enemy, if in any such force as he was
represented to be, nor was he willing to await an attack in the then
condition of his command. A report, too, had reached him, which turned
out to be unfounded, that McMinnville had been taken, that afternoon, by
anot