inspector-general; Captain Cyrus H. Askew, provost-marshal; and Lieutenant Thomas C. Davis, aide-de-camp, and did much by their example to render our operations successful.

I have the honor, sir, to be, your most obedient servant,

A. D. STRIGHT,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Captain M. P. BESTOW,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 68. Report of Lieutenant Colonel William D. Williams, Eighty-ninth Illinois Infantry, of operations December 15, 1864-January 5, 1865.

HDQRS. EIGHTY-NINTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS,
Camp Green, Ala., January 8, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to report the part taken by the Eighty-ninth Illinois Infantry in the operations of the First Brigade in front of Nashville, Tenn., on the 15th and 16th of December, 1864, and the subsequent pursuit of the enemy to Lexington, Ala., embracing a period of fifteen days.

In compliance with orders, four companies, viz, B, F, D, E, of the Eighty-ninth, took position on the skirmish line in front of the breast-works at daylight, relieving four companies of the Fifty-first Indiana Veteran Volunteer Infantry. The other six companies, in company with the brigade, moved out of the breast-works to the front at 1 p. m. of the 15th ultimo. At 2 p. m. a general advance was ordered, the Eighty-ninth taking position on the right of the second line, with the Eighth Kansas on our left, in support of the first line. The first line assaulted the enemy's first line of entrenchments and handsomely carried them. The four companies of the Eighty-ninth, deployed as skirmishers early in the morning, entered the enemy's works simultaneous with the first line, not in front, however, of the First Brigade, but in company with the first line of the Second Brigade (Colonel Post)), their position being to the right of the first in the advance. The Second Brigade oblique to the left, thereby overwhelming a part of the first line of the First brigade, causing some confusion and compelling the First Brigade to oblique some distance to the left to prolong the line of battle. Immediately on gaining possession of the enemy's works the Eighty-ninth, in company with the brigade, proceeded terraced breast-works. After nearly compelling them we were ordered to the right to fill the gap made by the previous obliging of the Second Brigade. After waiting perhaps two hours from the first assault the First brigade assaulted the enemy;'s second line of entrenchments, the Eighth Kans, eighty-ninth, and Fifty-first Indiana constituting the first line. The assault was gallantry and vigorously made, the three regiments of the first line entering the works almost simultaneously, the Eighty-ninth capturing 78 prisoners, and not finding the brigade provost-marshal, turned them over to Captain M. P. Bestow, assistant adjutant-general, Third Division, who ordered them in charge of the division provost. Our regimental loss in these two assault was surprisingly small, which I attribute entirely to the celerity and vigor of the assaulting lines. Not an officer or man hesitate a moment, but rushed at the enemy on the double-quick, or rather run, and never stopped until the enemy's works were scaled and the victory won. Our loss on the 15th was 2 killed and 4 wounded.