to the road before referred to. Frequently we took position from which our ranks poured most deadly volleys, but our attempt to check their advance being fruitless, we at length withdrew behind a hastily constructed defense held by the brigade, and were sent as support to the Forty-second Illinois Infantry, on the right of the brigade. A most determined attack was made on this line, which was given up only when overwhelmed by the force of the enemy, and the regiment with the brigade moved back to take a stronger position, which the enemy did not attack.

At 4 o'clock on the morning of the 30th the regiment with the brigade left Spring Hill, moving Franklin, where it arrived by midday and was put in position 500 or 600 yards in front of the main line of works, where the men, with a few spades, voluntarily threw up a bank, which, in consequence of no timber, was very low. This we were ordered to hold in case the enemy advanced. General Wagner's order was to put the sergeants with fixed bayonets in rear of the line to hold the men to their position. Although I did not order the sergeants to charge bayonets on my own ranks, yet I held my regiment in that position till the whole line was overwhelmed by the enemy and was pushed back together to the main works, at which our men made noble defense - in instances met the enemy in a hand-to-hand conflict. Lieutenant Christian M. Gowing, who had just received promotion from sergeant, distinguished himself upon that occasion in a hand-to-handed counter with a stalwart form who had crossed our works, but soon was made to bite the dust. To give the exact number of prisoners captured would be a matter impossible; other commands were on the same line and mingled with my own. Prisoners in large numbers came over the works in our front, but so say how many of these should be accounted to my command would be difficult. There rebel colors were taken from the enemy on the works by this regiment, but were not preserved, as those capturing them were in close conflict with the enemy. They were thrown to the rear and picked up by other persons.

The casualties of the command on the 29th and 30th were: Killed, 7; wounded, officers, 1; men, 5; missing,54.

My thanks are due both officers and men for their soldierly deportment on both those bloody fields.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. C. BROWN,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.

HDQRS. SIXTY-FOURTH REGIMENT OHIO VET. VOL. INFTY.,
Decatur, Ala., January 7, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of the battle near Nashville, Tenn., on the 15th and 16th days of December, 1864, so far as my regiment was engaged:

On the morning of the 15th camp was broken and the regiment moved with the brigade at daybreak from a position on the main line, where it had previously fortified, on the right of and near the Hillsborough pike. Having moved half a mile to the right the brigade was formed in reserve in rear of the Second Brigade and in two lines, my regiment being the center regiment of the front line of the brigade. Early in the day a forward movement commenced which continued steadily until my regiment had crossed the Granny White pike, where it took up position and fortified on a line nearly parallel within, the darkness of the night having checked our advance. On the morning of the 16th