Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[597] shots with a rebel officer, and succeeded in killing his horse. The man then dismounted and took to the timber; McKenzie followed him, and with but one shot in his revolver killed his man while his adversary was firing at him. Sergeant Smith, I think, was the coolest man on the ground, and did not fail to see that every order was obeyed to the letter. Sergeant Chestnut, company D, Third Wisconsin cavalry, commanded his company, and did nobly. The darkeys fought like, devils; thirteen of them were wounded at the first round, and not one but that fought throughout the engagement. The number of the enemy killed, as far as I can learn, are eleven, and I know we wounded more than twice that number, which they carried off the field.

There are several other interesting items, which I will furnish you in a future report.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Colonel: I have the honor to report the following facts in regard to the fight at Baxter's Springs, Cherokee Nation, October 6, 1863.

On Sunday, the fourth, General Blunt, with the following members of his staff, namely, Major H. Z. Curtis, Assistant Adjutant-General, Major B. S. Henning, Provost-Marshal of District, Lieutenant Tappin, Second colored volunteers A. D. C., Lieutenant A. W. Farr, Judge-Advocate, together with the brigade band and all clerks in the different departments of district headquarters, and also an escort, consisting of forty men of company I, Third Wisconsin cavalry, under Lieutenant H. D. Banister, forty-five men of company A, Fourteenth Kansas cavalry, under Lieuteuant Pierce, and the whole escort, under the command of Lieutenant J. G. Cavart, Third Wisconsin cavalry, and a train of eight wagons, transporting the effects of district headquarters, company effects, etc., left Fort Scott, for Fort Smith, Ark., and on that day marched six miles and camped. On the succeeding day marched thirty-four miles and camped on Cow Creek, and on Tuesday, the sixth instant, marched from Cow Creek to within a distance of eighty rods of a camp at Baxter's Springs, Cherokee Nation, and halted at twelve M., for the train to close up, as it had become somewhat scattered. The halt continued about fifteen minutes, and the command had just been given for the column to move, when horsemen were seen coming out of the woods, a distance of about eighty rods to the left, and forming in line. As we were so near Baxter's Springs, (although not in sight of it, by reason of an intervening ridge,) many supposed them to be our own troops drilling or returning from a scout. The General immediately ordered the two companies into line of battle, and the train to close up in rear of the line, which was done under the immediate direction of Major Curtis, Assistant Adjutant-General. At the same time a reconnoitre was made by Mr. Tough, a scout of the General's, who reported that the force were enemies, and that an engagement was going on at the Springs. I had ridden forward myself, and discovered that the force was large, and reported the same to the General, who then rode to reconnoitre for himself. At this time I discovered that the enemy were being reenforced from the south-west, on a line between us and the camp at Baxter's Springs, (the main body of the enemy being east of us,) and wishing to ascertain the condition of things in that quarter, I rode forward to the crest of the hill, where I saw that the camp was nearly surrounded by the enemy, and the fighting very brisk. While there, the stragglers of the enemy continued to pass from the south-west to their main body. Although within range of the camp, and receiving a straggling fire therefrom, I immediately commenced to fire upon these stragglers, and received their fire in return, and was seconded in this by Captain Tough and Stephen Wheeler, of company F, Third Wisconsin cavalry, both of whom acted with great bravery, and was just on the point of returning to our line, when I saw five mounted men (rebels) with three Federal soldiers prisoners, trying to pass as the others had done. I immediately recognized one of the prisoners as a private of company C, Third Wisconsin cavalry, one of the companies stationed at the Springs, (and belonging to my own regiment.) I determined to rescue them, and called to Tough and Wheeler to advance with me, but the former had just shot one rebel and was in close pursuit of another, in a direction taking him away from me. Wheeler advanced with me, and by pressing hard on the rebels and firing fast, we drove them, killing one, wounding another, and rescuing the prisoners, who all belonged to company C, Third Wisconsin cavalry. As the rebels escaped, they attempted to shoot their prisoners, and wounded one in the shoulder. As this was right under the fire of the camp, two of the prisoners made for the camp without stopping to say thank you; the other, and the one personally known to me, named Heaton, seemed so bewildered that I had to ride up to him, and force him to go in the right direction. All this had taken me over the brow of the hill, so that when I turned to go back, our forces were partially out of sight, but a few jumps of my horse brought them in sight again, and I saw them still in line of battle, while the enemy to the number of about four hundred and fifty were advancing upon them in line of battle, and firing very rapidly. I will here state that of the eighty-five men of our escort, twenty acted as rear-guard to the train, and did not form in line at all, leaving only sixty-five men in line, of which forty were of company A, Fourteenth Kansas cavalry, on the right; twenty-five, of company I, Third Wisconsin cavalry, on the left. At this time the distance between the two lines was not two hundred yards, and the enemy advancing at a walk firing, I had just time to notice