Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[229] around. On the fourth of June, the brigade, supported by Powell's battery, made a forced reconnoissance, and encountered a strong body of rebel cavalry, infantry, and artillery, a short distance this side of Blackland, with whom they had a successful skirmish, the Second Iowa losing three killed and nine wounded, and the Second Michigan two killed and seven wounded. Again, on the sixth, it made another reconnoissance in the direction of Baldwin, skirmishing for six miles, and driving the enemy that distance to Twenty-Mile Creek, in the bottom of which lay a large body of rebel infantry. On the ninth the brigade, temporarily in command of Colonel Sheridan, was directed to proceed the shortest possible road from near Blackland to Baldwin. It did so, and arrived at the latter point on the following morning at four o'clock, finding the enemy gone. Lieut.-Col. Hatch was then ordered with a battalion each of the Second Michigan and Second Iowa, to proceed toward Guntown and feel the position of the enemy. He came upon his rear, one and a half miles from Guntown, and his bold advance forced the rebels out, with infantry, cavalry, and artillery; when, having fulfilled his mission, he returned to Baldwin. This was the last attempt made by any portion of our forces to follow up the retreating enemy.

It was not only in the last days of the siege of Corinth, and during the pursuit, that the brigade made a reputation for boldness and power of endurance. From the very day they landed at Hamburgh, portions of it engaged almost daily in venturesome, successful outpost enterprises. The gallant charge of the brigade upon a rebel battery near Farmington, on the ninth ultimo, alone won for it the confidence and admiration of the whole army.

Its efficiency is principally due to the efforts of Col. Elliott, than whom a better cavalry officer can hardly be found in the service. It is but gratifying that he has already obtained his well-deserved reward by his promotion to a Brigadier-Generalship. He is now on duty on Gen. Pope's staff, and Col. Sheridan is permanently assigned to the command of the brigade.