immediately re-formed to renew the assault, which would have been promptly made; but a division of General Wood's troops, as I was informed, on the right of the Franklin pike, taking advantage of the withdrawal by the enemy of a portion of his troops in their front, to reinforce Overtons Hill, made a charge, which caused the entire line of the enemy to give way, and retreat rapidly and in disorder. My troops, in conjunction with General Wood's, immediately pursued rapidly, taking a number of prisoners. The pursuit was continued until after dark, when our exhausted troops bivouacked for the night near Brentwood.

December 17.

My command, in obedience to orders, continued the pursuit, covering and protecting the left of our line, moving from Brentwood, on the Wilson pike, to a point four miles south of Brentwood, and crossing from that point by a south-west road to Franklin, where it bivouacked for the night, not being able to cross the Harpeth river, which was much swollen by the heavy rain of the night and day previous, and the bridges destroyed by the enemy.

December 18.

goon rapidly bridged, the troops crossed, and
pushed out in the direction of Decatur. The
enemy attempted to check the crossing of the
troops with artillery, which he posted within
half a mile of where we were crossing the
lageon, but my advance, having crossed be-
fore this artillery opened, was rapidly pushed
out, and drove it off. At three o'clock P. M.
the whole of my infantry had crossed, and at
seven o'clock P. M. was in possession of Deca-
tur.

December 28.

My artillery and cavalry was crossed, the command rationed, and moved out three miles on the road to Courtland. The cavalry, the Fifteenth Pennsylvania, Colonel Palmer, and detachments of the Second Tennessee, Tenth, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Indiana, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Prosser, amounting in the aggregate to about six hundred and fifty effective men (Colonel Wm. L. Palmer, of from Decatur at 8 P. M., and pushed rapidly the Fifteenth Pennsylvania, commanding), moved forward, encountering the enemy six miles from the river, on the Courtland road, and at once attacked and routed him, capturing his artillery, a section of six-pounder brass guns.

December 20.

My command moved across the river and proceeded about three miles beyond Franklin, on the road to Spring Hill, when, in obedience My command moved at daylight, the cavalry to orders, I returned with my troops to Frank-in advance, and went into camp at five o'clock, lin and marched to Murfreesboro, to proceed by within four miles of Courtland. The infantry rail to Decatur, moving General Cruft's troops met no opposition. The cavalry skirmished from Nashville by the Murfreesboro pike. The most of the day in advance of the infantry, whole command was concentrated at Murfrees-driving the enemy rapidly towards Courtland. boro, on the evening of the twentieth.

At Pond Spring, three miles north-east of
Courtland, he made a stand, but was immedi-
ately charged and routed by my cavalry. The
report of Colonel Palmer, commanding the cav-
alry, herewith forwarded, gives a full account
of this affair.

Docember 30

My infantry moved to Courtland and went into camp on the south side of the town, on Big Nance Creek, the cavalry pushing on as far as Leighton, thirteen miles west of Courtland.

At Murfreesboro I received despatches from Colonel A. J. McKay, Chief Quartermaster of the Department, informing me that the transportation necessary to move my command by rail to Decatur, was on the way from Chattanooga, and transports conveying supplies would meet me at such point as I might designate. These orders and dispositions of Colonel McKay were all perfect, but the severe cold weather, the injuries to the road, and the criminal negligence, incompetency, and indifference of a portion of At five o'lock P. M. I received a despatch the railroad employés, occasioned serious de- from Colonel Palmer, written at Leighton, asklays. ing my permission to pursue, capture, and deOn the morning of the twenty-second De- stroy Hood's pontoon train. I immediately gave cember, my command moved from Murfrees-him permission to exercise his own judgment boro, reaching the mouth of Limestone River on the evening of the twenty-sixth, where I found Brigadier-General R. S. Granger, with his command, with four gunboats, one armed transport (the Stone River), and five transports, with rations and forage, forwarded from Chattanooga for my command.

December 27.

Having constructed the trestles, and secured the plank necessary to bridge a lagoon on the south side of the Tennessee River the night previous, I moved a portion of my command with the transports, convoyed by the gunboats down the river to a point three miles above Decatur, where a landing was effected, the la

in the matter. He decided to pursue, and in
the most splendid manner not only accomplished
all he proposed-the destruction of the pontoon
train-but pursued, captured, and destroyed a
supply train of one hundred and ten wagons.

Colonel Palmer's command, in this enterprising
and daring expedition, captured and destroyed
upwards of three hundred wagons, nearly one
thousand stand of arms, a large number of mules
and oxen, and captured and turned over two
pieces of artillery, two hundred prisoners, in-
cluding thirteen commissioned officers, and one
hundred and seventy serviceable mules.

To support the movement of Colonel Palmer,
I advanced two brigades of infantry, under com-

mand of Colonel Thompson, to Town Creek, seven miles west of Courtland, and one brigade, under command of Colonel Salm, to Leighton. General Cruft's division, with the artillery, remained at Courtland.

January 3.

Having learned that Colonel Palmer had been successful, and receiving an order from MajorGeneral Thomas to return with my command to Chattanooga, I moved with my infantry and artillery for Decatur, reaching that place in the evening of the fifth of January.

January 4. At one o'clock A. M. I moved, with the artillery and sick of the command, on board the transports for Chattanooga, leaving Brigadier-General Cruft to return with the infantry by rail. General Cruft was delayed several days in his return

by an order from Major-General Thomas, directing him to pursue the rebel General Lyon. This portion of the campaign, owing to the heavy rains swelling all the streams out of their banks and rendering the roads almost wholly impassable, was very arduous, but was skillfully and satisfactorily conducted by General Cruft, resulting in the capture of a part of Lyon's men, and driving all that escaped out of the country, utterly demoralized. The report of General Cruft, herewith forwarded, gives a detailed history of his operations in pursuit of General Lyon.

January 13. General Cruft returned to Chattanooga with his command.

The following table will show the casualties of my command during the entire campaign:

The larger portion of these losses, amounting | ten thousand of whom took part in the camin the aggregate to fully twenty-five per cent. paign, in battles before Nashville, and in guardof the men under my command who were taken ing the railroad defences south of the Tennessee into action, it will be observed, fell upon the River. colored troops. The severe loss of this part of my troops was in the brilliant charge on the enemy's works on Overton Hill on Friday afternoon. I was unable to discover that color made any difference in the fighting of my troops. All, white and black, nobly did their duty as soldiers, and evinced cheerfulness and resolution, such as I have never seen excelled in any campaign of the war, in which I have borne a part.

In closing the brief report of the operations of my command during the campaign, I feel that justice compels me to mention several officers, who distinguished themselves by their energy, courage, and unremitting efforts to secure

success.

Brigadier-General Charles Cruft performed herculean labor in organizing, arming, and equiping the detachments of recruits, drafted men, and furloughed soldiers of the Army of the Tennessee to the number of fourteen thousand,

Six thousand of these men were commanded by the General in person, in the field, from the commencement until the close of the compaign. The General deserves the thanks of the country for the able and efficient manner, in which he has performed this duty.

Brigadier-General John F. Miller, commanding Post of Nashville, displayed energy, efficiency, and promptness in placing his troops in position, to hold a portion of the exterior line protecting the city of Nashville.

I am much indebted to Brigadier-General Donelson, Chief Quartermaster of the Department, for his efficient and energetic efforts to fit out my command on its arrival at Nashville, and for the assistance he rendered with the armed men of his department in protecting the city of Nashville, pending the engagement.

My thanks are due Colonel A. J. McKay, Chief Quartermaster Army of the Cumberland,

I had been ordered by Major-General Thomas The following officers of my staff accompanied to organize the troops belonging to Major-Genme on the campaign, and discharged all the eral Sherman's field command within this departduties that devolved upon them in a most satis-ment, and report them to Major-General Steedfactory manner:

Orders were again received to be ready to march at six o'clock A. M., of the next day. Arms were issued to the portion of troops that were unarmed, and command was put in readiness to comply with the order. In the evening orders were received from Major-General Steedman to detail one of the brigades to report for duty to Colonel Morgan, commanding colored brigade, on my left. Lieutenant-Colonel C. H. Grosvenor (who had succeeded Lieutenant-Colonel Banning in command of the brigade) was ordered to report to Colonel Morgan. This order detached Colonel Grosvenor's brigade from my immediate control during the operations before Nashville, and it did not again rejoin its command until it reached Murfreesboro, marching by way of Franklin, Tennessee.

December 15.

which they worked their guns, and the good re-
sults that followed.

December 16.

The command remained in position as of yesterday. The brigade commanded by LieutenantColonel Grosvenor was engaged on the left during the day, and contributed its share in the work achieved by Major-General Steedman in that quarter. The assault made upon the enemy's lines and works in the afternoon of this day was under the immediate sight and direction of MajorGeneral Steedman, and the brigade will, without doubt, receive due credit from him. All accounts that reach me speak well of the conduct of the troops in this action. During the afternoon Colonel Mitchell's brigade was moved rapidly out from the works and occupied the hills beyond Raine's house, in compliance with orders, pushing a strong line of skirmishers to Ridler's

According to directions from the Major-Gen-hill eral commanding, the division moved at four o'clock A. M., and abandoning its line of defences, relieved a portion of the troops of the Fourth army corps (Brigadier-General Wood, commanding) and Twenty-third corps, (Major-General Schofield, commanding), and held their exterior line of works-picketing also the front-from the Ackland place to a point,north of Fort Negley, and commanding the approaches to the city by the Granny White, Franklin, Nolensville and Murfreesboro turnpikes. Details were furnished to support the batteries of artillery in the line, and to garrison Fort Mirton and redoubt Casino. The brigade of Lieutenant-Colonel Grosvenor (temporarily reporting to Colonel Morgan) was engaged during the day in the assault on the enemy's works near Raine's house, and was the only portion of the division in the fight. It suffered considerably in killed and wounded, and behaved creditably. The Twenty-fourth Indiana battery (Captain Stume), in position on the right of the line, near the Ackland place, was ordered by me, near nightfall, to fire upon a retreating line of rebels which came in sight, pass-Huntsville, and bivouacked. ing parallel to my right from left of the Fourth corps. The fire was opened with good effect (though at long range), and the rebel line was dispersed in great confusion.

beyond. The brigade held this position
firmly and in shape to repel any attack on the
part of the enemy's cavalry to turn the left of
from the east, during the residue of the time
the general line, and protected all approaches
this command at Nashville.

Monday, December 19.
Received orders to march to Murfreesboro-

moved the command at six and a half A. M.,
leaving behind those sick and unable to march,
in all say five hundred. Reached Lawrence fif-
teen miles, and encamped at nightfall.

Captain Sture and his officers and artillerists deserve great credit for the precision with

Tuesday, December 20.
Marched to Murfreesboro, and encamped.

Wednesday, December 21.
Shipped the command on cars, without rations,
and started on the morning of twenty-second
for Stevenson. Remained on cars four days.

Sunday, December 25.
Reached Limestone Creek, eight miles beyond

Monday, December 26.

Marched to bayou near mouth of Limestone Creek, say ten (10) miles, and bivouacked. Sent back by train those sick and unable to march, 'say four hundred men.

17