taking a stone wall which flanked my position. In the meantime Mehringer, having been thrown to the right and front to occupy a piece of woods, then received the attack of a rebel column, which he completely repulsed in thirty minutes. A brigade of General Cox's division was sent to support him, but it did not have occasion to go into action. The Fifteenth Indiana Battery followed the division and used its guns with good effect until night. My line was fortified after dark, including the knob previously to, which proved to be a point of vital importance to our success on the following day. On the 16th Wilson's Nineteenth Ohio Battery was brought on the field from the entrenchments of Nashville, and held in reserve. Harvey at daylight occupied the knob fortified during the night. This battery was the only part of my command seriously engaged during the day, Cooper and Moore simply supporting General A. J. Smith in his advance on the enemy's lines from 2 to 3.30 p.m.

The division displayed great gallantry and dauntless courage throughout the action. Should I commend the officers and men by name I would not know where to stop.

The captures were 200 prisoners, 3 guns, and 2 stand of colors.

Appended please find reports of brigade commanders and lists of casualties.*

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. N. COUCH,

Major-General.

Major J. A. CAMPBELL,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of the Ohio.

Numbers 101. Reports of Brigadier General Joseph A. Cooper, U. S. Army, commanding First Brigade, of operations November 24-December 8 and December 15-16, 1864.

HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, SECOND DIV., 23rd ARMY CORPS,
Near Waynesborough, Tenn., January 7, 1865.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the First Brigade, Second Division, Twenty-third Army Corps, from the 24th day of November, 1864, to the 8th day of December, 1864, inclusive:

On the evening of November 23 I received orders from Major-General Thomas to march my brigade and the Sixth Michigan Battery to Centerville, and guard the ford at that place and Beard's Ferry, five or ten miles above. I procured transportation from Captain Howland, assistant quartermaster at Johnsonville, and marched on the morning of the 24th via Waverly and arrived at Centerville, on the evening of the 27th, when I left tow regiments-One hundred and thirtieth Indiana and Ninety-ninth Ohio-to guard the fords at Centerville, and moved with the remainder of my command to Beard's Ferry, which I found to be fifteen miles distant, the nearest road I could go. I found the country infested with guerrillas, who hung upon my flanks and advance and rear guard. I reached Beard's Ferry on the evening of the 28th, and immediately reported to General Ruger, commanding Second Divis-

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*Nominal list (omitted) shows 1 officer and 10 men killed and 11 officers and 126 men wounded.

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