importance can easily be understood. General Longstreet hoped to gain the desired point by throwing a body of troops along the Kingston road. General Burnside was on the alert. Just before daylight on the 16th, General Potter put the Ninth Corps in motion-Colonel Hartranft's division in advance, Colonel Humphrey's brigade in the rear, With rapid marching, Colonel Hartranft, always prompt and always reliable, succeeded in the early part of the forenoon, in reaching Campbell's station. He was but a quarter of an hour in advance of the foe. It was an exciting race and our troops won. Colonel Hartranft's command was immediately moved out on the Kingston road and deployed across it, with the left thrown forward to cover the Loudon road, along which our army and trains were moving.

It was just in time. Scarcely had the disposition been made, when the head of the rebel column appeared hastening up the Kingston road. A small body of cavalry that were with Colonel Hartranft, immediately attacked and forced the head of the column back. Our infantry also poured in such a sharp and destructive fire, as to check the enemy's advance and throw his leading regiment into some confusion. General Longstreet had not succeeded in his first movement, and though his flanking column made several attempts to break the lines of the covering brigade, and his pursuing column to press our rear guard under Colonel Humphreys, they met in both instances with nothing but repeated failure. Colonel Hartranft steadfastly held his ground until the remainder of the army and all the trains had safely passed the threatened point. Lieutenant Colonel Loring of General Burnside's staff was sent to select a position for the formation of the troops. The trains were directed upon the road to Knoxville. General Burnside rapidly arranged his line of battle upon the chosen position, a low range of hills about half a mile beyond the crosss-roads, slowly withdrawing his troops, regiment by regiment, from the advanced position near the village. The first line was found en echelon-General Ferrero's division on the right, General

White's in the centre, Colonel Hartranft's on the left. A small cavalry force was posted on the country roads on either flank, and the right of the infantry brigade on the right flank was partially refused. The heavy artillery was posted in the centre, the light batteries in the intervals between the infantry and cavalry, with proper support. In this position, General Burnside waited the enemy's onset.

The attack commenced about twelve o'clock, by a furious charge upon our right, where Colonel Christ's brigade had been posted. The rebels came on in columns of attack, hoping to crush in our right flank by the momentum of their assault. Our lines wavered a little. Colonel Christ rapidly changed front, and though his brigade was somewhat attenuated, it could not be broken. The desperate charges of the rebel host were most handsomely and successfully repulsed. Soon after this, a very formidable attack was made upon our left centre, held by General White's division. The enemy was received by the artillery, but moved steadily forward till within three hundred and fifty yards, when all our batteries in the centre and to the right and left of General White opened with canister and shell. The slaughter was terrible, and the enemy's first line was broken and forced to retire. Reforming once more, he returned to the attack, only to be repulsed again. Our troops were admirably handled and fought, and every attempt of the enemy to break our lines and force the position was effectually thwarted.

About two o'clock in the afternoon, our scouts reported that the enemy's forces were crossing the road and passing through some woods in their rear to attack our left. General Burnside had already decided to hold his first position until three o'clock, when he intended to retire to another defensive line in his rear. At fifteen minutes before three, he turned to Lieutenant Colonel Loring and asked the time. On being told, he said, “We will wait ten minutes longer, and then withdraw." Accordingly, at the designated hour, the troops were withdrawn as before to a second range of hills, and the second line was formed

upon a position about a thousand yards in the rear of the first and commanding it. The withdrawal was accomplished by our officers and men with great deliberation and coolness, though made under a heavy continuous fire from the enemy's batteries. It was evident that General Longstreet, after failing to make an impression upon one flank, was intending to practise his favorite tactics by massing his troops upon the other, with the expectation of pushing back our left by a still heavier charge. Our centre was too strong to be forced. General Burnside formed his second line en potence on either flank-almost in the shape of a rectangle with three sides-massing his light artillery with Colonel Hartranft's brigade upon the left, where it was expected the enemy's attack was to be made. The cavalry scouts were well out as before, and the infantry was deployed across and upon either side of the road. On came the enemy, with a more resolute and determined bearing, if possible, than before; with frightful yells, they rushed down the opposite slope and up the acclivity, upon the. crest of which our troops were posted. Our men poured in destructive volleys of musketry, and as the rebels, still undismayed, came within short range, the artillery opened with grape, canister and shell with fearful effect. No troops could withstand so withering a fire. The charging column staggered, recoiled, and finally broke and sought shelter from the storm of death. The enemy's artillery on the heights in his rear kept up a hot but ineffectual fire until sunset, when it ceased, and a sullen silence settled over the field. Our loss in this battle was twenty-six killed, sixty-six wounded, and fifty-seven missing. The enemy's loss was much greater, as he was more exposed. The manner in which our troops were handled, the movements executed, the withdrawal made from one point to another, and the final advantage secured, elicited the highest commendation from those who witnessed the progress of the engagement. "Never did troops manœuvre so beautifully and with such precision," says General Ferrero in his report of the action, "changing position several times while under a severe fire,

brigades moving forward to relieve each other, others retiring, having exhausted their ammunition, changes of front, passing of defiles, were executed by men and officers so as to draw forth exclamations of the highest praise from all. In these movements, Colonel Christ particularly distinguished himself.”

The conduct of the officers and men was beyond all praise, and the battle of Campbell's Station will always be proudly remembered by those of our troops who were fortunate enough to participate in its scenes. The soldiers of the Ninth Corps, with their comrades of the twenty-third, had met the flower of General Lee's army, and had inflicted upon it a most damaging blow. General Longtreet was surprised by the obstinacy with which he was met and fought, and was forced to feel that the reconquest of East Tennessee was not an easy task. General Burnside, having punished the enemy, mastered the field, and saved his trains, deliberately drew off to Knoxville during the night of the 16th, and prepared for the siege which General Longstreet would now be obliged to make. Captain Poe had already been sent from Campbell's Station, with instructions to select lines of defence around Knoxville, and to have everything in readiness to put the troops in position as they should arrive. Captain Poe was familiar with the ground, and was thus able to designate without delay the points to be occupied. General Burnside knew that he could trust his troops, and they knew that they could trust him. The Ninth Corps was always to be depended upon, and the valor of the twenty-third had sufficiently been proved at the battles of Lenoirs and Campbell's Station. General Longstreet had received a severe check, but was not disposed to relinquish his purpose of driving our troops from East Tennessee. General Burnside's retreat drew him still farther away from General Bragg. All General Burnside's plans were working admirably. If Knoxville were once reached and properly defended, there would be no cause to fear for the result.

When our troops were withdrawn from Loudon, the ponton bridge which they had used was conveyed to Knoxville and

thrown across the Holston river. By this means, General Sanders's cavalry. was enabled to cross to the south side and maintain an easy communication with our troops in the town. General Burnside anticipated some movement of the enemy upon the south side of the Holston, and General Parke reposed the utmost confidence in the valor and discretion of General Sanders. The anticipation was realized, the confidence was more than justified. On the night of the 13th, a large body of cavalry and mounted infantry, under Generals Forrest and Wheeler, crossed the little Tennessee river near Morgantown, and on the 14th, attacked our advance at Marysville. A portion of the 11th Kentucky cavalry fell into the enemy's hands. Our forces were drawn in and skirmishing continued, at different intervals, during the 15th, occasionally with very severe and sanguinary fighting, in which the 1st Kentucky and 45th Ohio mounted infantry suffered considerable loss. Our dead were stripped of clothing, rings, watches, and other articles of value, by the enemy. But General Sanders was too strongly posted to be attacked with any hope of success, and our lines were everywhere vigilantly guarded. After carefully observing our position, the rebel commander withdrew without a serious attack. In the course of the 16th, the enemy had entirely disappeared from the immediate front of Knoxville. Colonel Adams, with the 1st Kentucky cavalry and 45th Ohio, pursued the retreating foe for several miles, with occasional skirmishes. The battle at Campbell's Station relieved the rison of Knoxville from the pressure of the hostile force.

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General Sanders returned across the river with his command, and at once proceeded down the Loudon road to cover the retreat of our forces and hold the pursuing enemy in check. Colonel Pennebacker, with a brigade of mounted infantry, occupied the Clinton road. The enemy's cavalry could not reach General Longstreet in season to be of any service on the 16th, and our army retired unmolested. General Sanders stationed his outposts for a considerable distance down the road. On the 17th, the enemy vigorously attacked. General Sanders,