Numbers 37.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Hapeman, One hundred and fourth Illinois Infantry.

HDQRS. ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY, Chattanooga, Tenn., September 26, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of the One hundred and fourth Illinois Infantry since they left Cave Spring, Ala., on the 30th day of August, 1863:

The regiment had, when we left Cave Spring, an aggregate of 300 men for the line of battle. We marched to Stevenson on the night of the 30th ultimo, when we bivouacked and remained until the 1st of September, when we marched across the Tennessee River and arrived at Brown's Spring, near Trenton, Ga., on the 5th.

On the 6th we marched to Brown's Spring, and on the 9th bivouacked in the valley near Stevens' Gap.

A detachment (Company H) had a skirmish at the foot of the mountain on the 8th, and captured 2 prisoners without loss on our side.

On the 10th we moved to Davis' Cross-Roads.

On the 11th were, skirmishing nearly all day, and moved back to Stevens' Gap. Our loss was 1 man wounded and 1 man missing.

Remained at Stevens' Gap until the 14th, when we moved to Bailey's Cross-Roads; marched from there to Owens' Ford on the 17th.

On the evening of the 18th we moved to within 2 miles of Crawfish Spring, and took position on a hill at the right of Bridges' Battery.

About 11 o'clock on the 19th the rebels opened a furious fire on us with their artillery, which lasted over one hour and a half. Seven of our men were wounded, 2 mortally. One company assisted the battery in working their guns during the action. The men behaved themselves will during the entire engagement. At 3 o'clock we moved back from the position, and marched up the road 3 miles from Crawfish Spring.

On the morning of the 20th we moved out with the brigade, and formed in line and commenced skirmishing with the enemy. The Fifteenth Kentucky and One hundred and fourth Illinois were formed on the same line, and advanced slowly, when we were halted and the One hundred and fourth sent forward to connect their skirmishers to the line of the Forty-second Indiana, some distance in advance and to the left. We moved forward about 250 yards, the enemy's skirmishers falling back, but failed to find the line of the Forty-second Indiana, when I discovered that the enemy was in large force in my front and on both flanks, and I ordered the regiment to fall back on the original line with the Fifteenth Kentucky on my right.

When I reached that point the Fifteenth was pressed by a heavy force and was falling back, and we continued to retreat to the road about 300 yards to the rear, where we again halted. Five of my companies were deployed as skirmishers, and the regiment was thrown into some confusion, when they fell back on the line.

About 30 men, mostly from the skirmish line, became detached from the regiment and did not again join it until night. This was the only engagement we were in during the day. We remained with the Fifteenth Kentucky, in command of Colonel Taylor, on