June 2d we received marching orders, and on the morning of the 3d we marched in the direction of Memphis, Tennessee. The roads were dry and dusty, making our march very disagreeable. We passed through Union Town on the 8th. Here was the first place on this march where we had seen the Stars and Stripes waved by citizens, and you bet the boys gave them three cheers and a tiger.
We marched on through Bolivar and on the night of the 13th we went into camp near Memphis. After a march of a hundred miles, we were all tired and ready for a little rest, but our rest was yet to come, for at 1 a. m. o’clock the next morning the bugle sounded the assembly. We fell in line and marched to the city.
The fearful wind it blew a blast,
The lightning never ceased to flash,
The thunder roared,
And the rain it poured.
but on our weary boys tramped into Memphis. We took refuge under sheds, porches or any place else to get shelter from the rain. The next morning we marched down to the river bank, pitched tents and went into camp.
On the morning of the 16th we were ordered out seven miles back of the town on a scout. We found no enemy and marched back to camp. We had a heavy provost guard at this place to keep the boys from running around over town.
We received marching orders on the morning of the 17th. We embarked on a steamer, and went as far as Helena, Arkansas. Here we got orders to reinforce General Curtis who was in Missouri with a small force, at that time. We got on board a boat and ran down the river, sixty miles below Helena. Here we turned our course up White River as far as Aberdeen, a small town on the bank of the river.
We could not hear of the whereabouts of Curtis’ army, and on the 4th of July, we remained all day at Crockett’s Bluff. On the 6th, six companies of our regiment under command of Colonel W. T. Spicely, marched out about six miles to Grand Prairie. Here we ran into a force of the 2nd Texas cavalry, about four hundred in number. Only four of our companies were in line. These companies numbered about 180. The rebels charged up within thirty steps of us. They lay over on the opposite sides of their horses and fired at us with double barrel shotguns, from under their horses’ necks.