Late Saturday evening we heard that there was an attack to be made on the Federals who had crossed on this side of Fishing Creek, numbering, as we then supposed, about 7,000. Our Batl. of Cavalry (Col. Branner’s) was ordered to saddle horses and be ready at any time to march with two days provisions. We were ordered out that night at 10 o’clock in the rear of the infantry and the artillery. We marched all night over a very bad road and in heavy rain and came upon the enemy’s picket at daybreak next morning.

The engagement commenced soon after, which continued about three hours. Our forces drove the enemy back over a large hill, across a valley and up another hill until we came to the enemy’s breastworks. Our Batl. was stationed on a hill in the rear of the infantry and in a very exposed position, for the Federals, as is their custom, shot over the infantry, and a great many of their balls came up to where we were. The Federals receiving reinforcements continually, our troops were overpowered and forced to retreat. We fell back about a quarter of a mile and formed a line to await the approach of the enemy.

We stood here about 20 minutes, when we were ordered to scout in the woods on the left, to keep the enemy from flanking us. When it was found that there was no danger of our infantry being flanked, we were ordered to retreat towards camp, and we each took a wounded or broken-down man behind us. We reached camp about 3 o’clock that evening.

Toward night the enemy arrived within two miles of our breastworks and commanded [cannonaded?] us until dark. They threw their shells and ball all over our encampment and the river [there is no notation in the typescript, but some words are obviously missing here] so as to be in readiness for an attack and at the same time be out of the way of the balls of the enemy, and here we remained until about 10 o’clock in the night.

We were allowed to dismount but not take our horses out of the ranks. I held my horse by the reins, set down on a stone and slept a little while, which refreshed me very much. when at last the welcome order came to mount and march to camp, we were told not to unsaddle but hold ourselves in readiness to mount at all times. I suppose we had got a half hour sleep when we were ordered to horse and down the river, and then we were told that we would have to leave our horses and get across the river the best way we could in some flat boats and a steam boat.

We didn’t like to leave our horses, so we stayed there some time trying to get them over. Some of us stripped our horses and pushed them in and tried to make them swim over, but they would swim around a while and come out. Robert, thinking that if some one would lead the way the rest of the horses would follow, stripped himself and horse and rode in. But in turning the horse’s head upstream he pulled the rein too hard, the horse reared up and threw him off and they both swam back to bank.

The river was up and very swift, making it very dangerous to attempt swimming. My horse got entangled in some bushes and I gave him up for drowned. I got all my things and by tight pushing got on the steamboat and went across. When I got over, I thought I would go back and try still further to get my horse over. I found a canoe on this bank and thought I would go over if my horse was not drowned to bring him over by the side of the canoe.

I told another man whose horse was on the other side that if he would help me bring my horse over in the canoe, I would help him with his, to which he agreed.

When we got across, I found that my horse had got out of the river. I caught him and started to the canoe with him. Just at that time the steam boat came across with flat boats fastened at each side of it, and I found that I could get my horse into one of them. I led him in and took him across in safety; but I found I had no saddle blanket, so I got in the steamboat after leaving my horse in charge of a friend and crossed again and got two or three saddle blankets, got on the steamboat again, came across and found that my horse and friend were gone.

Some one told me that Robert had taken my horse and things up the hill, just at the bank of the river, so I went up the hill and found him, mounted him and rode off just as the enemy’s cannon commenced booming.

Private Inslee Deaderick