No. 88. Reports of Captain Theodore S. Thomasson, First Battery Kentucky Light Artillery, of operations November 23-December 4, 1864, and December 16, 1864-January 16, 1865.

HDQRS. FIRST BATTERY KENTUCKY LIGHT ARTILLERY, Nashville, Tenn., December 4, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my battery from the 23rd of November to the 4th of December, 1864, inclusive:

The battery left Pulaski, Tenn., at 5 p.m. November 23, 1864, and marched to within one mile of Lynnville, where it arrived at 11 p.m., and encamped for the night. At 4 a.m. the 24th the battery left camp and marched to Columbia, Tenn., arriving there at 1 p.m., and parked on the right of the Pulaski pike, about three-quarters of a mile from the railroad. At 4 p.m. it moved into camp near the railroad round-house, where it remained until 11 a.m. of the 25th, when it moved into position on the line of the Second Brigade, First Division, Fourth Army Corps, on the Shelbyville pike, about one mile from town. At 10.30 p.m. it moved with the First Division, Fourth Army Corps, to the northwest of the town and encamped near the fort. At 8 a.m. of the 26th it moved into position on the line of the Third Brigade, First Division, Fourth Army Corps, on the hill on the right of the fort. At dark it moved on the Santa Fe pike and encamped about three-quarters of a mile from town for the night.

At daylight of the 27th it moved back to the position on the hill which it had occupied the day previous. At 6 p.m. the battery withdrew from this position, crossed the river at the ford, and moved one mile and a half on the Nashville pike and encamped until 8 a.m. of the 29th, when it moved into position on the right of the Nashville pike, where it remained until dark and then marched to Spring Hill. Remained in park there until 3 a.m. of the 30th, when it marched for Franklin, Tenn., arriving there at 9 a.m. of the 30th, and went into park with the Artillery Brigade about half a mile from the public square. At 12 m. one section, under command of Lieutenant Irwin, moved into position on the left of the Columbia pike about three-quarters of a mile from the public square. At 2 p.m. the other section, commanded by Lieutenant Sinclair, moved into position on the right of Lieutenant Irwin's section.

At 4 p.m. of the 30th the battery opened fire with percussion-shell on a column of the enemy forming on a ridge about 1,700 yards in front of the battery. A division of our troops had previously occupied this ridge, but were then falling back to the main line. The enemy formed and advanced upon the battery, and our retiring troops being between the enemy and the battery, it could not use canister until the enemy had advanced to within a short distance of the works. Our retreating troops came over the breast-works in considerable disorder, closely pressed by the enemy, and a portion of the troops supporting the battery giving away about this time, the cannoneers were driven from their posts. In a short time, however, a brigade in reserve charged forward and drove the enemy back and retook the battery. The cannoneers were then collected together, the limbers of the caissons brought up, and a steady fire of canister and shell kept up for about two hours, and then an occasional fire of shell for about two hours more, and then