Ronnie - Last night I read the "Record of Events" for the 13th Illinois Infty., as published in Broadfoot's SUPPLEMENT TO THE OFFICIAL RECORDS (Hewett et al., 1995, pt. 2, vol. 9., a.k.a. serial #21). These records are not infalible, but they're pretty comprehensive. There's simply no mention of such an encounter as you describe. The route these records describe, from from Batesville to Augusta to Clarendon to Helena, seems the same as the rest of Curtis' army. Your account has a lot of detail; may I ask what's your source? John