Rodmans. On September 3, 1864, they took steamboats down the Mississippi to White River Gap and from thence to Duvall's Bluff, Arkansas. Marching through Arkansas swamps to Cape Girardeau under General J. A. Mower, they next travelled up the Missouri River to Jefferson City, Missouri where they joined in the Federal pursuit of Confederate General Sterling Price, who was then engaged in a campaign inside his home state. Rice reported that the people around Jefferson City were suffering a "perfect reign of terror," as "all [of them] are Union." The men had initially been ordered not to take any spare clothing or belongings other than a blanket during their initial deployment, thus all of them were miserable and several were even barefoot by the time they drew new uniforms in St. Louis. Rations were often reduced to a quarter of the usual fare, with troopers forced to forage along the roadsides for "pumpkin sauce and beef." After Price's defeat at Westport near Kansas City, the Battery returned to St. Louis on November 15, 1864. Service at Nashville After drawing a new complement of horses, Battery E took boats for Nashville, Tennessee, where they served under General Thomas during Hood's siege of that city. In a letter dated 8 December 1864, Rice reports that "we have no firing along the line directly in front of us today, but the Johnnies can be seen plainly with a glass about three miles off, doing their camp duty." He goes on to relate his opinion of General Thomas and of his Confederate counterpart, General John Bell Hood: Rice reports that the battery was well-supplied with sanitary supplies and rations during this time, and that many of its sick members were "improving in health." He equally reported that "damnable speculators" had driven up the price of food and stationery, with one sheet of paper being sold for five cents, and flour for $35 per barrel. Several original members of the battery were discharged at this point and sent home, while others were compelled to serve out extensions to their original three-year terms. On 15 December Thomas did exactly what Rice had predicted: he emerged from his trenches, and attacked Hood's army. Rice relates his experience of the ensuing battle: If things had gone badly for Hood on the 15th, they would turn disastrous on the following day. Rice continues his account: With this disaster, the