Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[334] road being ready, on the twenty-first General Haynie's force moved on and entered Humboldt, where, making repairs and performing other necessary labor, they remained until the twenty-sixth Here they were joined by the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Illinois, two hundred and fifty-seven men, and Seventh Tennessee, one hundred and forty-eight men.

The repairs being ready, and General Haynie having been further reinforced by the One Hundred and Twenty-second Illinois, Col. Ranaker, about six hundred men, and leaving Col. Beardsley with the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Illinois at Humboldt, he moved forward to Trenton, where he arrived at noon on the twenty-sixth, and reported by telegraph to General Sullivan. There had been no opposition to Gen. Haynie's march to Trenton; but upon sending out scouts for the purpose, he found that Forrest had changed front also, and had a portion of his force at Middleburgh, four miles from the road, and the remainder at Dresden, about twenty miles from the road — in fact, that the rebel pickets were not over ten miles distant from his own outposts. The rebel force he could not learn, but had an idea that combined it would reach about five thousand. Gen. Haynie had at that time two thousand four hundred men, all told, in his command, and was extremely desirous of advancing alone upon Forrest; but upon making known his wish, Gen. Sullivan considered it highly dangerous for him to undertake the feat, thinking he might be cut off between the two sections of the confederate cavalry. This was undoubtedly sound advice, and it is well it was followed. There was constant telegraphic communication at this time between Haynie at Trenton and Sullivan, yet at Jackson; and to the fact that there were two cool heads, two energetic and courageous men, backed by good and true Western soldiery, may the success so brilliantly achieved at a later day at the Cross-Roads, be mainly attributed. On the twenty-seventh, General Sullivan started out as reenforcements — troops having been furnished for the purpose from Oxford — the Twenty-seventh Ohio, Colonel Fuller; the Twenty-second Ohio, Colonel Wood; the Thirty-ninth Ohio, Colonel Noyes; the Sixty-third Ohio, Colonel Spaulding; the Fiftieth Indiana, Colonel Dunham; Kidd's Fourteenth Indiana, and a Wisconsin battery. Upon their arrival in Trenton, these regiments were brigaded as follows:

First brigade--Col. Fuller of the Twenty-seventh Ohio commanding; Twenty-seventh Ohio, Thirty-ninth Ohio, and Sixty-third Ohio.

Second brigade--Col. Dunham of the Fiftieth Indiana commanding; Fiftieth Indiana, Thirty-ninth Iowa, One Hundred and Twenty-second Illinois, and Seventh Tennessee.

Gen. Haynie commanded the troops enumerated as accompanying him to Trenton, not included in the above, and in the advance occupied the extreme left.

To the infantry in the Twenty-seventh were added the batteries and the cavalry, all of which were ordered to be ready for sudden marching orders. Colonel Dunham's brigade, in fact, did march that night, immediately upon the arrival of General Sullivan, who came at nine o'clock of that night.

Gen. Sullivan and the remainder of the troops marched early the morning of the twenty-eighth, and encamped that night at Shady Grove, a pleasant place for a bivouac, about half a day's march from Huntington. Capt. Burbridge of the Eleventh Illinois cavalry force was ordered forward at an early hour on the twenty-ninth--about four o'clock A. M.--to occupy Huntington, and hold a bridge over a small stream beyond called Beaver Creek, and if possible, prevent the enemy from crossing g to the town. This was promptly performed by the corps. They reached the structure just at the moment that Forrest's advance pickets did, but held the position without loss, the confederates quickly falling back when they found themselves forestalled. The infantry were not long in following the horsemen into Huntington. I immediately upon his arrival, General Sullivan ordered regiments into position at the ends of the principal streets leading into the place, and sent out three hundred mien four miles towards Forrest's advance to take and occupy a second bridge on the Dresden road. Major Atkinson of the Fiftieth Indiana regiment had charge of this dangerous duty, and performed it faithfully and with celerity. As the detachment of Indiana troops approached the bridge, they were also met by the rebel pickets and fired upon, one of their number being wounded, but none killed. The fire was quickly returned, and two of the rebels were killed, one wounded, and the remainder fell back and gave up the position. In this manner the night of the twenty-ninth was passed at Huntington.

On the morning of the thirtieth the rebels, finding that they were cut off from passing through Huntington, and would be unable to reach their desired destination, the Tennessee, in that way, moved south and westerly, intending, doubtless, to reach Lexington. Late in the afternoon of that day, this movement having reached Sullivan's ears, he ordered Col. Dunham and his Second brigade to strike out and intercept them. The point where he thought they would meet them was at Clarksburgh, or near there, and, as was shown subsequently, the General made a very close guess on the subject, as the Cross-Roads are but a short distance south of Clarksburgh. It was late evening when the Second brigade reached Clarksburgh, which is about nine miles from huntington.

Leaving the Generals Sullivan and Haynie at Huntington, let us follow the march of Colonel Dunham's devoted force in the advance from Clarksburgh south, toward Lexington, it being understood that Forrest's force, unknown to the Federals, had made a detour to the westward, and taken a wagon road running in a conical line from a point on the Dresden road, at Hico, arcoss the Trenton road, a little to the eastward of McLemoresville, and reaching the Lexington road a few miles south of Clarksville — Parker's