Pittsburg Ld'g Sunday Apr 6" (1862)
 we retraced our steps and took the river road, we marched about 7 miles through mud and mire, in the recent overflowed bottoms, when we found that we were nearly cut off from Grant's army, we formed in the shape of a V and determined to cut our way through. Col McGinnis remarked to our Reg't "Boys remember you are from Indiana", this Expression had a world of meaning to us. It was now near sundown, and Gen. Nelsons Div. of Buel's army had crossed the river, and Engaged the rebels most furiously, and succeeded in driving back the rebels a short distance and we marched in and lay down for the night where the enemy had been one hour before. Thus victory seemed to be in our favor at the close of the day. We saw hundreds of men along the banks of the river that had been demoralised, some had swam to islands in the river, others were in black willow logs, thinking that they were safe there. It would be a safe statement to say that half the men that were here this morning are absent from their commands.
