General Knipe coincides with the recommendation to send a regiment through, and can send one with three day's rations.

If you desire, I will go through with the regiment, and make a careful survey and exact report.

Captain Hall is here; arrived about 7, too late to carry out your plan of attack on Shelbyville.

TEMPLE CLARK,

Acting Aide-de-Camp.

Numbers 27.

Report of Brigadier General Thomas H. Ruger, U. S. Army, commanding Third Brigade, First Division, Twelfth Army Corps.

HDQRS. THIRD BRIG., FIRST DIV., TWELFTH CORPS, Christiana Station, Tenn., October 9, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to report in relation to the surrender recently made of this post, as follows:

On Monday, the 6th [5th] instant, a force of probably 500 or 600 of the enemy's cavalry, under command of Colonel Harrison, commanding brigade, left the main body on the turnpike from Murfreesborough to Shelbyville, and appeared at this point between 1 and 2 p. m., and demanded the surrender of the post.

The force here consisted of detachment of Eighty-fifth Regiment Indiana Volunteers of 3 commissioned officers and 45 enlisted men, commanded by Captain James E. Brant, Company E, Eighty-fifth Indiana Volunteers. He at first refused to surrender, but on ascertaining that the enemy had artillery (two pieces, as I am informed) in position to open fire on the stockade into which he had retired, he surrendered his command.

The enemy remained in vicinity about one hour, destroying tank, pump, warehouse, two cars loaded with forage, and doing slight damage to side track. The main body left by same road they came, a small portion going toward Murfreesborough along railroad.

The stockade at this point was insufficient to resist musket balls, as I am informed. It was burned by the enemy. This report is made on information obtained in most part from citizens here at the time.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
THOS. H. RUGER,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding.

Major-General BUTTERFIELD.

Numbers 28.

Report of Major General Joseph Wheeler, C. S. Army, commanding Cavalry Corps, Army of Tennessee.

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS, October 30, 1863.

COLONEL: * On the 29th [September], I received orders to cross the Tennessee River with that portion of my command then with me (one brigade having been left with the army) and three brigades which General Forrest had been ordered to send to me.

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*For portion (here omitted) relating to the Chickamauga campaign, see p. 519.

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