One of the soldiers had an extra horse, which I persuaded him to let me ride. The march was continued to Lumpkins' Mills, where the regiments halted. There I turned my horse over to its owner, and before any pickets were thrown out I was on my way to Lagrange, which place I succeeded in reaching without any interruption. At the Yacona River a little incident occurred which amused me considerably. Previous to evacuating that position, the Federal troops destroyed the bridge across the river. The water in the stream at that place was quite shallow, but the mud was exceedingly soft and very deep, and the banks at the immediate edge of the water very steep and high for a horse to step from. The General in command of the force attempted to cross in advance of his command, and his horse, in stepping from the edge of the bank into the water with its forefeet, plunged in so unexpectedly deep that he precipitated the General over his head into the water, all over. By the time he had established himself on _terra firma_, he was, from his sousing in the mud and water, a ludicrous looking personage. On my arrival at Lagrange, I immediately reported the movements of the enemy to General Denver. For some reason, best known to himself, he did not credit my report, and detained me under arrest until he could ascertain the truth of the matter. I told the General my instructions, and assured him that I thought the movement of the enemy was one worthy of notice. A regiment of cavalry was then sent out to reconnoiter, and when near Holly Springs they encountered the enemy, and a sharp engagement took place, in which the superior numbers of the enemy enabled them to drive the Federals back, with a loss of eighteen killed and wounded. At the end of three days the regiment returned, and the General was convinced that a _part of my report_, _at least, was true_. He then told me that I had better report the movement to General Grant. I replied, "I have been of that opinion for _three days_." I then determined to penetrate the country between Hernando and Coffeeville to Greenwood, and find out the locality of the other five regiments of cavalry, and see the position and force of the enemy at Greenwood, and, if possible, communicate with General Ross, and then make my way across to the Mississippi River, and then to General Grant's head-quarters at Milliken's Bend, La. In crossing the country, I left Hernando to my right, but learned, by citizens, that the cavalry stopped at that place, and that General Hurlbut had sent a small force of cavalry to reconnoiter, which, like the one General Denver sent out, was driven back with considerable loss. On arriving at Greenwood, I found that the principal part of the rebel force was twenty miles below; to which place I went. The force there at that time was a division of fourteen regiments of infantry, under General Tighlman, and one other division of infantry, under whose command I did not learn, and some artillery.