the division to commence withdrawing my command. I moved my command immediately and took up the line of march on the Nashville turnpike,marching north in the direction of Franklin. At about 8 a. m. and when within about two miles of Franklin I received orders from the general commanding the division to form my brigade in two lines of battle on east side of the turnpike, fronting south, and to allow the men to make coffee. I did so and remained in that position until about 9.30 a. m., when I received orders from the general commanding the division to move my command farther north on the turnpike. I did so immediately, and formed my brigade about 600 yards to the rear of my former position, and in single line of battle on the east side of the pike, fronting east, as directed by the general commanding the division, and also threw out some skirmishers about half a mile in front of my line of battle. Remained in that position until about 10.30 a. m., when I withdrew my command, as directed by the general commanding the division, to within about half a mile of Franklin, and formed it in single line of battle, one regiment on the right of the turnpike and five on the left of it, fronting south, with my left a little refused. The regiments were formed in the following order: Fifteenth Missouri Volunteers on the right and connecting with the Second Brigade, Second division, Fourth Army Corps; the Fifty-first Illinois on the left of the turnpike, leaving a space the width of the turnpike between it and the Fifteenth Missouri, and in that space was a section of battery M, First Ohio Light Artillery;* the Seventy-ninth Illinois on the left of the Fifty-first; the Forty-second Illinois on the left of the Seventy-ninth; the Sixty-fourth Ohio on the left of the Forty-second, and the Sixty fifth Ohio on the left of the Sixty-fourth.

I then threw out a strong line of skirmishers about half a mile in front of my line of battle, and as I could see the enemy maneuvering in my front in force about a mile and a half distant, and anticipating an attack on my lines, I sent word to the general commanding the division to ask him if it was expected that I should hold the line I was then on, but just as the staff officer was starting the general came up and gave me orders to hold the line as long as possible, and to have the sergeants to fix their bayonets and to keep the men to their place. I accordingly gave the same instructions to my regimental commanders, and believing an attack would soon be made on my line, I ordered my regimental commanders to built a line of works in front of their regiments, respectively. About 3.30 p. m, and as the men were very busily engaged in throwing up a work, the enemy, who had been forming his lines in front of my lines, commenced advancing on us. They advanced very slowly and steadily, and in three lines of battle; they drove my pickets in, and just as the enemy got within good musket-range a staff officer of the general commanding the division rode up to me and said that the general ordered that if the enemy came on me too strong, and in such force as to overpower me, that I should retire my line to the rear of the main line of works, which were about a quarter of a mile in my rear, but as the enemy was so close to me, and as one-half my men were recruits and drafted men, and knowing that if I then retired my lines my men would become very unsteady and confused, and perhaps panic-stricken, I concluded to fight the enemy on the line I then was, so I ordered the men to commence firing. We poured a very destructive fire into their line, and it staggered them very much, and at the second volley from my men the enemy fell back

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* A mistake. Battery M was not there.

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