But there we sat, silent as the tomb, watching our prey, without even the privilege of shaking our feet in the stirrups to keep them from freezing. I never came so near freezing in my life. The rest of the scouts and the detachment with the General arrived just before day.
When the General saw the pickets, which we pointed out to him, he said, turning to the captain of the scouts, “Tom, do you see those pickets?” The Captain answered promptly, “I do, distinctly.” Then the General said, “Lead your scouts down there, and take them in, and if it can be avoided do not fire a gun.”
A moment after the boys were on all sides of the picket, advancing from all sides, and in less time than I can tell you, the Yankees were captured, disarmed, placed under arrest, and sent to the rear. It was done without a word, without a shot to make our presence known to the enemy. The General said before this was done that it would be all he would require of us. However, we escorted him to the camp, which was in sight, and as we galloped into line one of the sentries, on camp duty, more watchful than the outpost, fired his gun into the air, and almost immediately a reply from the “Bull Pups” came across the river. This had a pleasing effect in our favor, for, imagining the attack was from that direction, the Yankee battery very soon opened upon them in dead earnest. Meanwhile, each of our regiments had gained its position, and the line of battle was formed, though the Yankees were running in every direction, so complete was their surprise.
Believing, from our actions, we were about to charge them mounted, the Yankees commenced forming three distinct hollow squares; and then again, seeing our men dismount to fight, they formed into line parallel with ours. By this time the battery we had with us was placed in position in our line, and between the Seventh and Eighth Kentucky Cavalry. With the General at the head of the scouts, and supporting the battery, two of our pieces now opened fire on the Yankee battery, which was still duelling with the “Bull Pups.” This discharge caused the Yankees to see and realize their real position. They were surrounded completely. When our big guns began firing they commanded a little more respect and attention than the “Pups.” The Yankees quickly reversed their guns, and the second shot hit one of our caissons, and there was an explosion. The General, the artillery and the scouts were enveloped in such a dense cloud of smoke and shells that every one, like myself, thought that he was the only living one—the only one who had escaped instant death. But on the disappearance of the smoke our surprise was great to find that no one was hurt except the drivers and the horses attached to the caisson. The escape of General Morgan seemed miraculous indeed.
Colonel Duke had led our line of battle into action, and now the entire line entered the conflict. Rebel and Yankee were at it, hot and heavy, still the General would not permit the scouts to advance, but held us under fire of the artillery, in reserve, as he said. But before long our time came.
When it came the two lines were frightfully near each other. The Yankee cavalry regiment was on the rise before us when the General, calling the attention of the scouts, said, “Boys, yonder are those horses I’ve been promising you.” And he added, “Be very particular how you take them, for you observe that each horse has an armed man upon him.” Then, giving Captain Tom some instructions, he ordered us to advance, which we did at a brisk canter. Already the Yankee lines, in many places broken, were reeling and staggering like drunken men. We entered the lists just in time to fire the ending broadside and receive an unconditional surrender. We likewise received the horses the General had presented, besides a great variety of “other things” that abound in Yankee camps. The engagement had lasted only an hour and ten minutes.
The forces surrendered by Colonel Moore were the One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, One Hundred and Sixth and One Hundred and Eighth Ohio Infantry, and the Second Indiana Cavalry, making a total of two thousand three hundred prisoners. Sixty or seventy of the enemy were killed, and twice that number wounded. Our loss was nearly fifty killed and seventy or eighty wounded. Our captured horses were put in charge of some of the scouts, and the rest of us were ordered to watch the movements of the Yankee brigade that was in supporting distance of the one just captured. Though this brigade had heard our cannonading, we had struck so quickly and rapidly that they could not, at least did not, come up in time.
After marching over a mile we met the enemy’s advance-guard, and the main force was marching in line of battle a short distance in the rear of his advance. We drove the advance back in confusion upon the main column. Then a portion of our company held the ground, while the others withdrew to the rear and went into ambush, there to wait the moment to strike.
On this occasion, when hard pressed by the main line, we suddenly gave way, as if we were demoralized, and this enticed the advance out to pursue us. Then the boys in ambush opened fire on them so unexpectedly that they retired in confusion. While this was being enacted the scouts who first fell back selected another place of ambuscade. In this way, after receiving the Yankees warmly once or twice, they learned caution, and advanced slowly, being obliged to reform their lines often, which detained them so much the longer.
When we arrived at the ford we found the prisoners, the horses and the artillery, as well as the captured stores, all safe on the other side of the river. The brigade with which we had been skirmishing took the same position as the one captured had taken, and shelled the ford while we were crossing. But they showed no inclination to come over themselves. Had they done so we certainly would have had the pleasure of escorting another Yankee brigade, under guard, to headquarters; for we found when we gained the south bank that our forces had been arranged to give them a warm reception.