Numbers 37. Report of Colonel John m. Thayer, First Nebraska Infantry, commanding Second Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE, THIRD DIVISION, Army in the Field, Pittsburg, Tenn., April 10, 1862.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the part taken by the Second Brigade in the battle of Pittsburg:

Early on Sunday morning, the 6th instant, hearing at my camp at Stony Lonesome heavy cannonading in the direction of Pittsburg, I immediately caused my command to be put in state of preparation to march at moment's notice, and anxiously awaited orders. Soon Major-General Wallace and staff rode up and he gave me the desired command to move to the scene of action.

At 12 o'clock the brigade was in the line of march, the Sixty-eighth Ohio, Colonel Steedman, being directed by me to remain at that point, in conjunction with Colonel Kinney's Ohio regiment, for the purpose of preventing an approach of the enemy by Adamsville road.

We arrived upon the field at Pittsburg at dark, and throwing out a strong force of pickets in front of our line we bivouacked in order of battle, the troops lying down with their arms in their hands.

During the night a severe thunder-storm came on. Those who slept awoke to find themselves in a drenching rain, but they bore their hardships with fortitude and cheerfulness.

Captain Noah S. Thompson, of the Ninth Battery Indiana Light Artillery, having come up in the night and placed his battery inn position in the open field in front, at daylight on the morning of the 7th i moved the First Nebraska, Lieutenant-Colonel McCord, forward, so that its left rested on the battery. I then placed the Twenty-third Indiana, Colonel W. L. Sanderson, on the right of the First Nebraska, having the Fifty-eighth Ohio Colonel Bausenwein., immediately in the rear of the two.

While is this position Thompson's battery opened fire upon a battery of the enemy, discovered upon the hill directly in front. Having silenced it, I received orders from General Wallace in person to advance en echelon. I did so across the deep ravine and up the steep declivity where the rebel guns had been planted, keeping Captain Baumer and his company of the First Nebraska as skirmishers in advance, which movement was executed in good order. Here the general directed a change of front of his division, which was executed by a left wheel of the whole line. Advancing in line a short distance, we were soon under a heavy fire of the enemy's guns, both artillery and infantry. Moving forward we emerged from the timber into a small cleared field, where Captain Thompson, having moved forward, also planted his battery. I then moved the brigade by the right flank nearly half a mile into the timber again, for the purpose of extending our line to the right, and then forward to the brow of a steep hill, where we remained some three quarters of an hour, when the enemy's battery was again silenced.

The order then came from General Wallace to move forward. We did so, and emerged from the timber into a large, open field. Moving my brigade in full line of battle, reserving our fire, we crossed a deep ravine and passed up onto the ridge beyond under a terrible fire of musketry and artillery from the rebels. Arriving on the brow of this ridge I gave the order to open on them, which was promptly done. Our fire told with fatal effect, for they immediately fell back. A few

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