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when they arrived on the 22nd of Nov Gen Hovey found the River so low that the large Boats could not get up and ordered Col. Bussey to disembark his Cavalry at Montgomeries Point and march across to Prairie Landing on White River Twenty five miles distant and await further orders. While the Infantry would proceed up White River on the Smaller Transports Col. Bussey commenced disembarking before daylight and after considerable delay was on the march. The road led through Swamps and Cambrakes[?] and was in a horrible condition, owing to heavy rains. The Howitzers were got along with great difficulty. Night Came in when the Cavalry had arrived with in five miles of the River. The road was now through a Continuous swamp. The water knee deep to the horses and Cypruss knees so thinck that it was with great difficulty the horses could get through. The dense forest through which we had to travel made the night so dark that the horses heads could not be seen by their riders. There was not a house or farm within ten miles and none in front. Believing the Boats were at Prairie Landing, Col. Bussey determined to reach them if possible, as his men had no forage for horses or supplies for themselves. He therefore continued the march single file, floundering through swamps, many of the horses miring down until 8 oclock PM he lost the road and got fast in grape vines. The advance guard had reached the river not more than a mile distant and found the Boats had not arrived. Then men dismounted in water ankle deep tied their horses to the trees and prepared to pass the night. Before nine oclock a heavy rain came on and continued without intermission during the entire night. The water pound down in a flood, submerging the whole country, raising the water in the swamp until not a foot of ground could be found above water. The night was very Col.d. No fires could be made and the men were without blankets or shelter of anyknid[sic]. Col. Bussey waited until 10 A. M. of the next day and received no tidings of Gen Hovey Longer delay would have made it impossible to get his horses out of the swamp as they were without forage and had been for 18 hours knee deep in water and exposed to a Col.d rain. The artillery could not be taken out of the swamp after the heavy rain of the night before. Col. Bussey