ordered to move by the right flank to Duck River railroad bridge. Owing to the extreme darkness of the night, and having to move through a dense wood without roads, there was some irregularity in this movement. The brigade arrived at the bridge at daylight. Here the brigade was put in position, with its right across the railroad near Duck River, and its left near the road leading from the ford near the railroad bridge to Columbia. They were immediately set to work throwing up earth-works, covering nearly three times their front. I threw out a strong picket-line at night, and during the night withdrew my brigade across Duck River, and on the morning of 28th placed the brigade in position on the high ground near the river, with my left resting near the railroad, and right near the river-bank, with two regiments in reserve. One-half of the One hundred and eleventh Ohio Infantry, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Sherwood, was sent two miles down the river to guard a ford. The brigade threw up a strong line of earth-works and held the position until the morning of the 29th. At this place considerable skirmishing was kept up, resulting in the loss of a few men in my brigade.

At 9 a.m. on the 29th I was ordered to move with my brigade, following the Third Brigade, leaving the One hundred and eleventh Ohio Infantry to occupy the works and rejoin the brigade at midnight. Shortly before reaching Spring Hill I was ordered to place one regiment on the right flank of Third Brigade, which was then advancing in line of battle. I sent out the Twenty-third Michigan Infantry, Colonel Spaulding. In taking his position he came suddenly upon the enemy's pickets, and captured an adjutant-general belonging to Cheatham's (rebel) corps. The remainder of my brigade was formed in line of battle across the road, forming a second line, and advancing in this order until after dark, halting near town for a short time, when I received orders to march on the Franklin pike, with one regiment thrown out as an advance guard. Halted at midnight and put the brigade in position to cover the cross-roads near Thompson's Station. Marched again at 2 a.m. on the 30th, arriving at Franklin at 7 a.m.

On the morning of the 30th the One hundred and eleventh Ohio Infantry, with a detachment of Twenty-fourth Missouri Infantry, repulsed an attack made by rebel cavalry upon our wagon train, losing one man wounded; they then resumed the march, arriving at Franklin at 12 m., and were put in position on the left of my brigade. I put my brigade in position, under the direction of the general commanding the division, with its right resting on the Centerville pike, and left on the northwest slope of the hill near the Columbia pike, on the west side of the town, and immediately commenced entrenching the position. The line occupied by the brigade was so long that I found it impossible to fill it properly with my brigade, and applied to the general commanding the division for more troops and received a company of fifty men of One hundred and eighty-third Ohio Infantry, which I put in position between the left of Twenty-third Michigan and right of One hundred and twenty-ninth Indiana Infantry, near the center of my line. The officers and men were very much exhausted, having been worked night and day for several days previous, and not having enjoyed a night's rest since leaving Johnsonville, yet they went to work cheerfully and threw up a strong line of works. At noon I received orders to make a detail of six officers and 175 men for picket. These were posted under the direction of Major Huston, Twenty-third Michigan Infantry, field officer of the day. There was very little skirmishing in my front, but at 4 p.m.