They sent off messengers at once, and young Taylor and his comrade were brought back the next day.
Resuming our march eastward by the large road, we soon reached Elk River, which was wide and deep, and could only be crossed by a ferry, a process entirely too slow for the occasion; so I changed the route more by the north, to Elkton, Winchester, and Deckerd.
At this point we came in communication with the Army of the Cumberland, and by telegraph with General Grant, who was at Chattanooga.

He reiterated his orders for me and my command to hurry forward with all possible dispatch, and in person I reached Bridgeport during the night of November 13th, my troops following behind by several roads.

At Bridgeport I found a garrison guarding the railroad-bridge and pontoon bridge there, and staid with the quartermaster, Colonel William G.Le Due (who was my school-mate at How's School in 1836).

There I received a dispatch from General Grant, at Chattanooga, to come up in person, leaving my troops to follow as fast as possible.

At that time there were two or three small steamboats on the river, engaged in carrying stores up as far as Kelly's Ferry.