I also have a memoir in my possession written around 1914 by a William H. Schrader, who had been a private in Company H, 9th MSM Cavalry. Schrader was in the skirmish we are talking about, and was in a personal gunfight with one of the rebels. While there is some variation in accounts (there always is), there are also multiple points of similarity. Here is what Schrader said about the fight, with some interesting insights into Federal tactics utilized when pursuing guerrillas--

"...Our scouting party got on the trail of the guerrillas late on the afternoon of the 22d but did not succeed in overtaking them. The trail was taken up early next morning, when it soon divided, the rebels separating to get food at different farm houses. Of course when this occurred we would have to take one of the most promising trails and follow it.

"We could not break up our command as they did, for they always had arrangements to come together at some certain point, and if we came up to them in squads would have been killed in detail. We, therefore as was our custome, followed the most likely trail, when we came to a field in which several negroes were working. As soon as they saw us they began motioning toward the house, but making no other demonstration. The house was hid from view by a cornfield and an orchard, and a lane led up to it. The command to wheel about was quietly given as also the order to charge.

"We reached the house before the rebels knew of our coming, and being cut off from their horses, there were seven of them, they made a break in two directions, five for a heavy strip of timber south of the house and two west over newly plowed ground for a thicket along a branch.

"The five were killed before they reached timber. It was thought at first that all had started together for the timber, but the Captain of the company to which I belonged, looking to his right saw a man running toward the plowed ground and calling for assistance, I being nearest, turned my horse very quickly and followed, shooting first with my gun, on which the rebel dropped his belt containing two revelvers, and succeeded in getting into the brush, where his companion had preceded him.

"This companion handed one of his revolvers, when he immediately turned and began shooting at me, emptying five chambers of his revolver at a distance of not more than thirty feet. The second or third shot passed through the body of my horse, and from the effects of which he died in a few minutes. I had fired two or three shots from my revolver, but the horse was staggering, and that of course spoiled my aim.

"By this time other comrades had come up and both rebels were killed, but not before the first one in the brush had killed another horse. The fellow I followed had two or three wounds in his body and I must have given him the first; which must have caused him to drop his revolvers."

It is interesting to note that both Schrader's account, and the Watts version of this fight, both speak of how absolutely enraged Bill Anderson was when word reached him about this affair. Schrader spoke of seven killed, one other account speaks of seven rebels involved and six killed, another account speaks of just six rebels involved and six killed, and the several references in the O.R. all speak of six rebels killed.