A small portion of this command, who were out some distance from the camp, with their horses, escaped and gave the first notice of Sanders’s approach, at Knoxville, Kingston, Loudon and other places. From that point he marched toward Kingston. When within eight miles of it, he learned positively that Scott’s brigade and one battery were at that place, guarding the ford of Clinch River. For this reason, leaving Kingston to his right, he crossed the river eight miles above, at Waller’s Ford on the direct road to Loudon. At daylight, on the 19th (June), he was within three miles of Loudon, and about the same distance from Lenoir’s. He there learned that a force of three regiments was at the Loudon bridge, with eight pieces of artillery, and that they had been for two weeks strengthening the works at that place, digging rifle pits, ditches, &c. A courier was captured from the commanding officer at Loudon, with dispatches ordering the forces from Kingston to follow in Sanders’s rear, and stating that the troops from Lenoir’s had been ordered to join them. Sanders determined to avoid Loudon and started immediately for Lenoir’s station, which place he reached about 8 A. M., arriving there about thirty minutes after the departure of the rebel troops. At that station he captured a detachment of artillerymen, with three 6 pounder iron guns, eight officers and fifty-seven enlisted men, burned the depot, a large brick building, containing five pieces of artillery, with harness and saddles, two thousand five hundred stand of small arms, a very large amount of artillery and musket ammunition, and artillery and cavalry equipments. The depot was entirely occupied with military stores, and one car filled with saddles and artillery harness. He also captured some seventy-five Confederate States mules and horses. There was a large cotton factory with a large amount of cotton at the place, and he ordered that it should not be burned, as it furnished the Union citizens of the country with their only material for making cloth, but it was burned by mistake or accidentally. He had the telegraph wire and railroad destroyed from there on to Knoxville, at points about one mile apart. He met the enemy’s pickets at Knoxville about 7 P. M. on the 19th (June,) and drove them to within a mile of the city. Leaving a portion of the 1st Kentucky Cavalry on the southwest side of the town, he moved the rest of his command as soon as it was dark by another road entirely around to the other side, driving in the pickets at several places, and cut the railroad, so that no troops could be sent to the bridges above. At daylight he moved up to the city on the Tazewell road and found the enemy well posted on the heights and in the adjacent buildings, with eight or nine pieces of artillery. The streets were barricaded with cotton bales, and the batteries protected by the same material. Their force was estimated at 3,000, including citizens who were impressed into service. After