the Thirtieth Indiana Volunteers on the left. The men were kept hard at work making rifle-pits until about 4 p. m., when brisk firing was heard on the skirmish line in my front. The skirmishers were soon driven back by the enemy, who was new seen advancing in heavy lines of battle. I ordered the men to drop their entrenching tools, put on their accouterments, and take their places behind the uncompleted works, ready to repel the attack of the enemy. It was with difficulty that the men were made to hold their fire until the enemy were near enough for them to do good execution. He moved forward in good order within good musket-range. I then ordered the men to fire. The first volley partially stopped his advance. A few more well-aimed valleys sent the enemy back in confusion. Brisk skirmishing was kept up till late in the night. No casualties occurred in the regiment. At dark I sent some men a few rods in front of my line of works to observe any move that the enemy might make, and soon after a company for picket under command of Captain Amos B. Segur, Company I. At 12 midnight the works were evacuated, and with the command I moved across the Harpeth River. I have never seen such coolness and determined bravery by all of my officers and men, in repelling the attack of a superior force, as at the battle of Franklin.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN E. BENNETT,

Colonel, Commanding Seventy-fifth Illinois.

Lieutenant FRANK BINGHAM,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Third Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS SEVENTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS,
In the Field, near

---------

, Ala., January 2, 1865.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by this regiment in the engagements of the 15th and 16th ultimo:

On the morning of December 15, at 7 a. m., in compliance with instructions from Brigadier-General Grose, I moved my regiment from the works we had built and occupied for two weeks, going about one mile to the right, and formed my line, supporting the Eighty-fourth Illinois Volunteers, with my right connecting with the Second Division of the Fourth Army Corps. This regiment was retained in the second line during the entire day. Governing my movements by those of the front line, keeping at all times within supporting distance, I followed the Eighty-fourth Illinois Volunteers until after night-fall, passing through the abandoned works and camps of the enemy, and bivouacked near the Granny White pike. December 16, at 6 o'clock in the morning I formed my regiment fronting nearly east, occupying the right front of the brigade, and connecting with Brigadier-General Whitaker's left. With one company deployed for skirmishers, I moved without opposition to near the Franklin pike, where I rested for an hour. In compliance with instructions I now changed direction to the right and reformed near the house of Mr. Plater, having changed my front from east to south. The enemy from this point could be distinctly seen, and in my immediate front, about one-third of a mile distant, were occupying a bald eminence protected by temporary works of rails and brush. The intervening distance was through an old corn-field, unbroken by anything that would afford us the least protection, but at the command