the brigade of colored troops commanded by Colonel Morgan, Fourteenth U. S. Colored Troops,* to co-operate in the movement. The ground on which the two assaulting columns, formed being open and exposed to the enemy's view, he, readily perceiving our intention, drew re-enforcements from his left and center to the threatened point. This movement of troops on the part of enemy was communicated along the line from to right.

The assault was made, and received by the with a tremendous fire of grape and canister and musketry; our men moved steadily onward up the hill until near the crest, when the crest, when the reserve of the enemy rose and poured into the assaulting column a most destructive fire, causing the men first to waver and then to fall back, leaving their dead and wounded-black and white indiscriminately mingled-lying amid the abatis, the gallant Colonel Post among the wounded. General Wood readily reformed his command in the position it had previously occupied, preparatory to a renewal of the assault.

Immediately following the effort of the Fourth Corps, Generals Smith's and Schofield commands moved against the enemy's works in their respective fronts, carrying all before them, irreparably breaking his line in a dozen place and capturing all his artillery and thousands of prisoners, among the latter four general officers. Our loss was remarkably, small, scarcely mentionable. All of the enemy that did escape were pursued over the tops of Brentwood and Harpeth Hills.

General Wilson's cavalry, dismounted, attacked the enemy, simultaneously with Sc hayfield and Smith, striking him in reverse, and gaining firm possession of the Granny White pike cut off his retreat by that route.

Wood's and Steedman's troops, hearing the shouts of victory coming from the right, rushed impetuously forward renewing the assault on Overton's Hill, and although meeting a very heavy fire, the onset was irresistible, artillery and innumerable prisoners into our hands. The enemy, hopelessly broken, fled in confusion through the Brentwood Pass, the Fourth Corps in a close pursuit, which was continued for several miles, when darkness closed the scene and the troops rested from their labors.

As the Fourth Corps pursued the enemy on the Franklin pike, General Wilson hastily mounted Knipe's and Hatch's divisions of his command, and directed them to pursue along the Granny White pike and endeavor to reach Franklin in advance of the enemy. After proceeding about a mile they came upon the enemy's cavalry, under Chalmers, posted across the road and behind barricades. The position was charged by the Twelfth Tennessee Cavalry, Colonel Scalding commanding and the enemy's line broken, scattering him in all directions and capturing quite a number of prisoners, among them Brigadier General E. W. Rucker.

During the two day's operations there were 4,462 prisoners captured, including 287 officers of all grades from that of major-general, 53 pieces of artillery, and thousands of small-arms. The enemy abandoned on the field all his dead and wounded .

Leaving directions for the collection of the captured property and for the care of the wounded left on the battle-field, to pursuit was continued at daylight on the 17th. The Fourth Corps pushed on toward Franklin by the direct pike, whilst the cavalry moved by the Granny White pike to its intersection with the Franklin pike, and then took the advance.

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*See addenda, p. 49.

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