Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 11.
Frank Moore, Ed.

The Second cavalry brigade, consisting of the First, Third and Fourth regiments Ohio veteran cavalry, Colonel Eli Long commanding, left Columbia, Tennessee, May twenty-second, and marching via Pulaski and Elktown, Tennessee, and Athens, Alabama, reached Decatur, Alabama, on the afternoon of the twenty-sixth. Hardly had the brigade encamped, and the horses been unsaddled, when “boots and saddles” was sounded, and the word flew that Roddy had driven in the pickets. Out went the brigade on the Courtland road, and marching six miles, the First Ohio in advance, found pickets, rebel regiments of cavalry, apparently on a reconnoissance. A volley was fired from each regiment, when the First forming, part in line to the right of the road, and part in column in the road, charged with drawn sabres. The rebels did not stop to pass more compliments, but turned tail, and such running was beautiful to behold. The First, followed by the Third and Fourth, kept up the chase for two or three miles, capturing fifteen prisoners, a regimental flag, five wagons loaded with forage and officers' baggage, and a number of horses and mules, after which the brigade returned to camp. At eleven A. M., on the twenty-seventh, the brigade left camp, and again took the Courtland road, this time preceded by a brigade of infantry and a battery of artillery. After marching about twelve miles, we overtook the infantry and artillery, and learned that the rebels were stubbornly contesting their advance. The Fourth were sent to the front as skirmishers, and kept the rebels going quite lively, killing a major and several men, and had got within five or six miles of Courtland, when the rebels opened two fires of artillery on us, and the Fourth, now dismounted, except the skirmishers, on right and left, were compelled to lie down, as the rebels had evidently chosen their position beforehand, and measured the ground, for their shells passed or burst directly over our line. The artillery was ordered up, and opened briskly, silencing the rebels after a little time, and again our skirmishers advanced, but they met with slight opposition, and at dark we entered Courtland and encamped. Two men were wounded this day, in the Fourth, by shells, neither severely. The rebel force must have been considerable, as Roddy's headquarters had been near Courtland. At six A. M., the twenty-eighth, our brigade, and two pieces of artillery, took the Moulton road, the infantry and four pieces of artillery returning to Decatur. We marched over a hill and barren portion of country, and at two P. M., passed through Moulton, a small village, and camped in a woods, two miles east, on the right of the Summerville road, the rebels firing on the rear guard as it passed through town. We now began to suspect that Roddy was not satisfied with his previous experience, and intended to try the Yankees again. The horses were kept saddled, and we laid down ready to spring to arms at a moment's warning, but our rest was not disturbed. As the bugles sounded reveille, before daybreak on the morning of the twenty-ninth, however, our pickets were driven in, and Roddy with his whole force, amounting (as we afterward learned) to five regiments and two battalions of cavalry, and four pieces of artillery, attacked our camp. As the brigade marched the preceding day — the Fourth in advance, next the artillery, then the Third Ohio, and in rear the First Ohio, so that the latter regiment was attacked first; but although so little time was given, for the rebels came with a rush, the First was ready, and firing, dismounted [590] and went to work heartily. By this time the shells were bursting thick and fast in and around camp, and solid shot hissed through the air spitefully, while our artillery was hard at work. The Third and Fourth had just mounted, and formed on the opposite side of the road from camp, facing Moulton, when word was brought that the rebels were advancing on our left and entering our camp. The Fourth was dismounted in a twinkling, and forming line, went across the field and road, and into the camp at a double-quick, with a yell. We were there not a second too soon; for the rebels had just entered the other side of the camp, and were flanking the First Ohio, which was already receiving a terrible fire. The woods and open space beyond, was alive with Graybacks, but the boys went straight ahead, forming in a hot fire, and driving the rebels out of the woods, up the hill, and into an open field. In this field was stationed a piece of artillery, which had been annoying us very much; but when we made our appearance, the rebels took it to the rear in a hurry, thinking we were charging it, which we should have done, had we been mounted. The Fourth now retired to the edge of the woods, closing a little to the right, on the First Ohio, when the rebels made an attack, short but sharp, on the right of the Fourth, and getting a handsome repulse, leaving several killed. Just at this time a rousing cheer from our extreme right, told that the Third had charged, mounted, flanking the rebels, who, as usual, could not stand a charge, but broke, left the field, and rushed pell-mell, into the road and across the fields toward Moulton, while after them went the Third and our artillery, the latter, at every convenient opportunity, pouring shell into the flying rebels. The Fourth mounted and followed, but soon returned, as did the other pursuers, and the fight was over. Having considerably disappointed Mr. Roddy, we bethought ourselves of our morning meal, and as it was a seasonable hour, seven A. M., and having good appetites, we breakfasted. The rebels left two majors, and twelve or fifteen men dead on the field. We took a lieutenant-colonel, two lieutenants, and between twenty and thirty men prisoners. Their loss in wounded must have been severe. Only one man was killed outright in our brigade, and he was killed by a prisoner he was bringing in. He belonged to the Third Ohio. The First Ohio had a number wounded, two of whom have since died. The Third Ohio had several wounded, one or two dying since. The Fourth had ten wounded, one of whom, Jacob Carolus, Company C, has since died; none missing. Roddy came on with the greatest confidence, and intended to capture our whole force, for the night previous he sent to Florence, and had some of his regiments come up by forced marches to his aid, and the prisoners said that he told them that we were green Yankees, just from Ohio, and that he would rout us, and they should have our new equipments. He did have quite a force on the road to Summerville, evidently to take in the flying Yankees when he routed them, but he didn't rout worth a cent, and thought the boot was on the other foot. It was a lively engagement, each man taking a full hand, and none to spare. The boys are very jolly about Roddy's coming to breakfast with us, and getting snubbed. The same day of the fight we marched forty miles, and afterward continued our march, via Rome, to this place, which we reached this A. M.