In a few hours after the surrender of Athens I moved with my command toward Pulaski. Four miles north of Athens another block-house, with a garrison of 30 men, was surrounded and captured. The trestle, railroad, and block-house at this point were all in blazing ruins twenty minutes after we reached them. I moved on and encamped eight miles from Athens at night.The Sulphur Springs trestle was only two miles off, and on the morning of the 25th…the enemy's pickets were driven in…and the place soon invested. His defenses consisted of two block-houses and a large fort situated upon an eminence, but…surrounded by hills still more elevated….One section of Hudson's battery, commanded by Lieut. E. S. Walton, was placed on the southwest; one section, Ferrell's, commanded by Lieutenant Ozburn, on the southwest; one section of Morton's on the east, commanded by Lieut. J. W. Brown, the other section on the north, commanded by Lieut. J. M. Mayson, all under the direction of Captain Morton ….[A] general advance was ordered toward the fort. General Buford's division moved with alacrity and great promptitude. Colonel Kelley dashed across the field, followed by his brigade, and after reaching his desired position the enemy dared not raise his head above his own works. Colonel Johnson and his brave troops on this occasion acted with conspicuous gallantry in marching up and assaulting the enemy's works. Mean time the eight pieces of artillery from four different points poured a concentrated storm of shell into the fort. After two hours' bombardment the enemy's guns were silenced and he exhibited no show of resistance. I deemed this an appropriate occasion to demand a surrender, and sent a flag of-truce for that purpose. After a short parley with Col. J. B. Minnis, the commanding officer, who had expressed a desire for an interview, the fort surrendered. The enemy suffered severely in this assault. The colonel commanding was killed early in the fight. Almost every house was perforated with shell, and the dead lay thick along the works of the fort. The fruits of this victory consist, besides the prisoners, of 700 stand of small-arms, 2 pieces artillery, 3 ambulances, 16 wagons, 300 cavalry horses and equipments, medical, quartermaster's, and commissary stores. The trestle-work at this fort was 72 feet high and 300 feet long, and defended by two large block-houses, all of which were consumed by fire, and the prisoners turned over to Colonel Logwood, who started with them to the Tennessee River.