No. 163. Reports of Colonel James I. Gilbert, Twenty-seventh Iowa Infantry, commanding Second Brigade, of operations December 15-16, 1864, and January 9, 1865.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE, SECOND DIVISION,
DETACHMENT ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE,

In the Field, Tenn., December 20, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: In relation to the part taken by my brigade in the late battles with the enemy near Nashville, Tenn., on the 15th and 16th of December, 1864, I have the honor to make the following report:

My command was comprised as follows: The Twenty-seventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry, 477 effective force, Lieutenant Colonel Jed Lake commanding; the Thirty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry, 362 effective force, Lieutenant Colonel G. A. Eberhart commanding; the Fifty-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 331 effective force, Major R. W. Healy commanding; the Tenth Kansas Veteran Volunteer Infantry, 187 effective force, Captain W. C. Jones commanding; the Third Indiana Battery, six guns, 114 effective force, First Lieutenant Thomas J. Ginn commanding.

In compliance with orders from General Garrard, commanding Second Division, Detachment Army of the Tennessee, I had my command in readiness to move at daylight on the morning of the 15th instant. About 7 a.m. I moved the brigade outside the line of entrenchments encircling the city and formed the regiments of infantry in column by division, sending out the Tenth Kansas with one company of the Twenty-seventh Iowa, Company B, as skirmishers, to cover the entire front of the brigade. Soon afterward I received orders to form in line of battle and advance, governing my movement by that of the troops upon my right, guiding, however, to the left. I immediately deployed into line in the following order: The Thirty-second Iowa on the right, the Fifty-eighth Illinois in the center, the Twenty-seventh Iowa on the left, the battery following closely in the rear, my left resting near the right of the Fourth Army Corps. We had advanced but a short distance when brisk skirmishing commenced. Our skirmishers were checked only a few minutes, however, and soon drove the enemy from his sheltered skirmish line back upon his reserves, and yet steadily back to within 400 yards of a strongly entrenched position. Here they were checked, but, being re-enforced, again advanced to within 200 yards of the rebel works, driving the enemy inside, and, finding good shelter behind trees and stumps, held this position until the main line was ready to charge, all the while doing excellent service in sharpshooting the gunners of a rebel battery in their immediate front. The approach of my command toward the rebel works was necessarily very slow, as it was nearest the pivot upon which the whole right wing of the army swung around upon the enemy's left flank. Heavy cannonading from the enemy occurred at times during the advance, but owing to the thick timber in front he failed to get range so as to do me material damage. About 4 p.m., the main line having arrived close upon the left of the enemy's works, my skirmishers were relieved and reported to the command, when I received orders to move by the right flank to the rear of the First and in support of the Third Brigade, now ready to charge thaw works. I immediately executed the order in quick time, but had little more than reached the position assigned me when I heard the shouts of victory and saw several hundred prisoners passed