In speaking of the conduct of my staff and of my officers and men, it is only necessary to state that they displayed their usual coolness and bravery in all the operations in which we were engaged.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. C. WHITEAKER,

Brigadier-General.

Captain N. G. FRANKLIN,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, First Division, Fourth Army Corps.

HDQRS. SECOND Brigadier, FIRST DIV., FOURTH ARMY CORPS, In the Field, Columbia, Tenn., December 22, 1864.

The 15th of December my brigade-composed of Twenty-first Kentucky Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel J. C. Evans commanding; Twenty-third Kentucky Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel G. W. Northup commanding; Thirty-fifth Indiana, Lieutenant-Colonel Tassin commanding; Forty-fifth Ohio, Lieutenant-Colonel Humphrey commanding Ninety-sixth Illinois, Major George Hicks commanding; One hundred and fifteenth Illinois, Colonel J. H. Moore commanding-moved from their camp, below Nashville, about one miles to the right on the Hillsborough turnpike, to assault General Hood's army, occupying his lines of entrancement in front of an south of that city. The First and Third Brigades of his division formed the first line. My brigade, massed in column of regiments, was held in reserve, covering the interval between the First and Second Divisions, ready to move to any point requiring support, and its movements were ordered to conform to those of the advancing column it was supporting. The general movement was for the right to swing round on the left as a pivot. The troops were put in motion, and about noon General Smith, on the extreme right, began to drive the enemy slowly,and soon heavy skirmishing began along our entire line. The Second Division, Fourth Corps, moved so slowly that the First Division on its left advanced beyond it and moved so rapidly that I was compelled to move my command by the left flank ot unmask it form the Second Division, in order to be in readiness to support the First and Third Brigades of the First Division on its left advanced beyond it and moved so rapidly that I was compelled to move my command by the left flank to unmask it form the Second Division, in order to be in readiness to support the First and Third Brigades of the First Division in an assault they were, at 4 p. m., making on a fortified hill in front of he Second Division, on the Hillsbourough turnpike orad. This hill was carried in such spirited and gallant style by the First Brigade, Colonel Kirby commanding, and the Ninth Indiana, Colonel Suman commanding, that the reserve was not called into action at his time.

The enemy having been driven from this position, he was pursed and driven along his entrenched lines beyond the Granny White turnpike. Darkness coming on, my brigade bivouacked on this turnpike, about three mils from Nashville. Though in reserve for a large portion of the time, my command was under heavy artillery fire, and lost this day 1 killed and 4 wounded.

December 16, between 6 and 7 a. m., we advanced, Second Brigade and Third Brigade having the advance of the division, my brigade being on the right, and formed in two lines, from right to left, as follows: Fifty-first Ohio, Forty-fifth Ohio, Twenty-first Kentucky. Throwing out a strong line of skirmishers, under Captain Quigley, of Twenty-third Kentucky, the enemy's skirmishers were firmly driven