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until he was satisfied of the number of the enemy. They had their pieces of artillery at least. and from a thousand to fifteen hundred men to [illegible] our chances were very poor if we had remained in the town, for we had no fortification, except the stockade which was worse than nothing when the enemy used artillery We [illegible] one killed and four or five wounded and about fifty prisoners. The enemy had three killed and fifteen wounded. They gave no notice of their approach or intention to attack the town so that women and children could leave it; but fired their cannon shot through at least three houses which were occupied. A shell exploded in one house where there was a family of seven but fortunately no one was hurt. Such acts of barbarism merit a [illegible]. Soon after our return to the place a Regt of Infantry and about two hundred cavalry arrived from Huntsville, and we started in pursuit of the enemy. About an hour before sundown we came up to a small force which had not been able to cross the river. The skirmishers drove them back to the river when the enemys artillery which had crossed opened upon us but their firing was harmless because if they fired low enough to strike us they would kill their own men. It was [illegible] the skirmishes had them cornered; and Maj Bardsly (of our Regt) [illegible] to [illegible] for a force to chase and take the whole