by the pontoon bridge, which was then removed to a point two miles farther down the stream and in rear of the new line occupied in and at the right of the town. The weather, which had been clear since leaving Pulaski, now changed to rain.

At daybreak of the 26th I rapidly reconnoitered the ground on the north of the river, and found that the ford is situated at the extreme southern point of a bend of the river, inclosing a long narrow tongue of land, which is almost everywhere commanded by the hills and bluffs on the southern bank, one of the most commanding of which is crowned by a stone fort, at that time within the line occupied by our troops. The southern point of the tongue of land is entirely bare of trees or other cover, and is from fifteen to twenty feet lower than the banks immediately opposite, the river being here not quite 200 feet wide. A little farther north the ground rises slightly, till, at a distance of from 600 to 800 yards from the ford, a ridge traverses the bend, crossing it in a curved line, which is about as high as the hills on the opposite side, except a range of two or three,including that upon which the fort is situated. Upon this ridge is situated the house of Mrs. Brown (see topographical sketch).* In rear of the ridge the ground is again depressed, and the whole distance across the tongue is in plain view of and commanded by the ground on the opposite banks of the river. Still farther to the rear, and about a mile distant from the ridge last described is another ridge or chain of hills nearly at right angles to the Franklin pike and affording a good defensible position. The house of Mrs. Porter is upon this ridge (see sketch)*. Rutherford's Creek, a deep, difficult stream, crosses the Franklin pike two miles from Mrs. Porter's, and by a circuitous course runs into the Duck River about a mile below the ford. The examination of the ground showing that the only tenable position in the bend of the river was the ridge on which Mrs. Brown's house is situated, I ordered Reilly's brigade to occupy that ridge from Mrs. Brown's to the turnpike, and Casement's on the left of the turnpike. Wilber's battery was put in position in the center of Reilly's position, and the other two batteries left in reserve at Casement's position, epaulements being constructed to cover them, facing both east and south, on Casement's line as well as upon Reilly's. The troops were ordered to intrench themselves, and rifle-pits for a strong skirmish line were dug along the margin of the river, taking especial pains to make as much cover for sharpshooters possible opposite the ford. The Eighth Tennessee Volunteers, of Reilly's brigade (a small regiment numbering less than 200 men), was placed as a reserve for the skirmishers in a small depression a little in rear of the ford, where their flanks were covered by the nature of the ground and their front by a breast-work. During the 26th these preparations were continued without interruption, the skirmish lines not being withdrawn from the old position on the south of the river. An attack was made upon Colonel Henderson's line, upon the Mount Pleasant pike, but was repulsed and the original lines maintained until night of the next day, 27th, when the whole command was moved by the major-general commanding to the north side of the river.

At daybreak of the 28th the enemy occupied the town, and immediately lined the banks of the river with skirmishers and sharpshooters and opened a lively fire. They also placed several batteries in position and opened fire upon our lines. In addition to the earth-works above mentioned I had on the day before caused good cover for a battery to be

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*See Plate CV, Map 4 of the Atlas.

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