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mane treatment rendered the enemy's wounded, is deserving of mention.
Each and every one did his duty, and, if our defence and conduct during those trying hours meets with the approval of our General, we shall feel that we have received our reward.
We respectfully ask, however, that along with the names of “Donelson,” “Shiloh,” and “Metamora,” “Davis's Mills” may be inscribed upon our banner.
I am, Captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Wm. H. Morgan, Colonel Twenty-fifth Indiana Volunteers.
Cincinnati Gazette account.
Davis's Mills, Miss., December 27.
This place, on Sunday, the twenty-first of December, was the scene of one of the most animated and gallant struggles of the war.
The conflict was between Col. William H. Morgan, of the Twenty fifth regiment of Indiana volunteers, with two hundred and fifty men, and Lieut.-Gen. Van Dorn, with thousands of rebel cavalry.
Morgan was victorious ; the confident and high-ranking Van Dorn forced to retire from the field, leaving dead and wounded and some prisoners behind.
I will give you an account of this heroic achievement, in which the resolute, determined bravery and military skill displayed by Colonel Morgan, stands forth in striking and brilliant contrast to the shameful and cowardly conduct of the Colonel commanding at Holly Springs.
But, in order to convey a correct idea of the achievement, a short description of the field will be necessary.
Davis's Mills are situated on Wolf River, six miles south of Grand Junction, and twenty miles north of Holly Springs. Wolf River is a narrow but deep stream, bounded on either side by wide cypress swamps, into which, at rare intervals, the elevated land extends to the main stream, thus affording natural advantages for roads, bridges, mill-sites, etc. At one of these points, and on the east side of the river, is the site of Davis's Mills.
Here also the railroad and wagon-road cross the river, the former on a trestle structure about three hundred yards in length ; the latter on a bridge built upon the mill-dam, in fact the bridge is the dam, formed of logs and earth, with a wasteway in the middle, and is fifty yards in length.
The bridges are near one hundred and sixty yards apart, and between them are two mills, a saw-mill and a flouring-mill.
The ground on the west side of the stream, for an extent of half a mile, is low and thickly wooded on both sides of the road, with the exception of a few rods near the bridge.
On the east side, is a large corn-field, which rises very gradually for a distance of three hundred yards from the river, where it again declines toward the east, thus forming a low ridge.
On the top of this ridge, and exactly facing the road bridge, is a most beautiful and symmetrical Indian mound, with a circumference at its base of one hundred yards, and an altitude of twenty feet.
On Saturday morning, December twentieth, word reached here, that Van Dorn, with a force of seven thousand cavalry, had made a dash on Holly Springs, capturing the entire infantry force at that place, numbering about one thousand five hundred men, and burning the Government stores.
When Col. Morgan heard this news he felt confident that if Van Dorn moved further north, this would be the next point of attack, and notwithstanding the smallness of his force, he determined to defend the post to the last extremity.
His whole available force consisted of two hundred of his own men, and companies B and M, Captains Traunstine and Henry, of the Fifth Ohio cavalry.
After a careful examination of the position, Col. Morgan determined to dispute the passage of the road bridge, and defend the railroad bridge from two points, the saw-mill and the Indian mound.
The saw-mill is distant about eighty yards from either bridge, and so situated as to command both by a diagonal fire.
This was, on Saturday afternoon, converted into a block-house, by means of two rows of cotton bales, one upon the other, placed in the ends, while the sides were walled up with bridge timber.
And on Saturday night a breastwork of earth, about three feet in height, was thrown up around the base of the mound, and the arrangements were complete, as far as time would allow, for giving Van Dorn a warm and gallant reception, such an one as his high rank justly entitled him.
There were two reasons for expecting a fight on the twenty-first.
In the first place, the enemy would by then have had time enough to complete his work at Holly Springs and reach this point.
And in the second place, it would be the Sabbath-day.
Accordingly on Sunday morning Col. Morgan sent out cavalry scouts, under command of Capt. Traunstine, and Lieutenant Slade, Fifth Ohio cavalry, on the two roads leading to Holly Springs, who were to act as committees of reception and herald the coming, should they meet the valiant knight of the C. S. A.
Sufficient ammunition and provision to stand a siege of twenty-four hours was placed in the little forts; the Indian mound, soon perhaps to be baptized in blood, christened by the men Fort Morgan, and the saw-mill, the redan.
The small band of determined men, ready to take the places assigned them, company H, Twenty-fifth Indiana, with a few dismounted cavalry-men, the redan; the remainder, Fort Morgan.
I shall use the terms Fort Morgan and redan in this letter merely as a matter of convenience.
Thus we remained, expectant, until half-past 12 o'clock P. M., when two heralds in quick succession dashed up to the Colonel's tent, and reported that Lieutenant Slade had met the enemy and been driven into the picket-lines, and that the rebels were dismounting, and forming in line of battle by thousands, on a large plantation about a mile from the river.
The men, eager for tile conflict, were soon at their posts, with the command to reserve fire till the rebels reached the bridge.
In a short time the pickets were driven 