to the coolness and bravery of Lieutenant-Colonel Fedfield (who ceased his labors only when his wound compelled him), Major Griffiths, Surgeon Woods, and Adjutant Tichenor. They rendered me all the assistance possible.

The following figures show the number of my officers and men that took part in the engagement:

Field and staff ....................................... 5

Company officers ..................................... 21

Enlisted men ........................................... 379

Total .................................................. 405

My report of casualties is as follows:

Killed .................................................. 3

Wounded .................................................. 33

Missing .................................................. 11

Total loss ............................................... 47

Company C, with the exception of 5 men, were left on picket at Huntigdon, and did not arrive in time to take part in the engagement.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. J. B. CUMMINGS,

Colonel, Commanding.

Lieutenant JOHN R. SIMPSON,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Second Brigade.

Number 17. Report of Lieutenant Colonel William K. M. Breckenridge, Sixth Tennessee Cavalry (Union), of skirmish near Clifton, January 1, 1863.

SALTILLO, January 2, 1863.

SIR: I have just received your dispatch of the 1st instant. I sent you a dispatch on the night of the 31st December, giving you the incidents of that day. On the morning of the 1st, a very short time after sunrise, our pickets were driven in by Forrest's advance. We first made an effort to form on a hill, which is shown in diagram, but the timber was so thick that we could not get a line to do any execution. I then fell back to the foot of the hill, leaving some men to skirmish with them until others were formed. About this time I received information that it was Forrest's whole force. I then changed position, forming company in the rear of company to get them all off without exposing our rear. It would have been all right had it not been that one of the companies that was in the rear did not receive the order to fall back until they were exposed very much to the enemy's fire. The first orderly failing to reach them from some cause that I do not know of, I sent another order to fall back, which reached the commander of the company while the enemy were demanding a surrender of the whole command; in the mean time the enemy were making an attempt to surround the company, which being perceived they galloped off, losing about 6 men as prisoners. We killed 6 and wounded some others of the enemy. We made our retreat on the Decaturville road, to the right of the enemy, getting in their rear to annoy him all we could. We found that his rear was moving at a very rapid rate and followed them within a short distance of the