bivouacked for the night, not being able to cross the Harpeth River, which was much swollen by the heavy rain of the night and day previous, and the bridges destroyed by the enemy.

December 18, my command moved across the river and proceeded about three miles beyond Franklin, on the road to Spring Hill, when, in obedience to orders, I returned with my troops to Franklin and marched to Murfreesborough, to proceed by rail to Decatur. Moving General Cruft's troops from Nashville by the Murfreesborough pike, the whole command was concentrated at Murfreesborough on the evening of the 20th. At Murfreesborough I received dispatches from Colonel A. J. Mackay, chief quartermaster of the department, informing me that the transportation necessary to move my command by rail to Decatur was on the way from Chattanooga, and transports conveying supplies would meet me at auch point as I might designate. These orders and dispositions of Colonel Mackay were all perfect, but the severe cold weather, the injuries to the road, and the criminal negligence, incompetency, and indifference of a portion of the railroad employes, occasioned serious delays.

On the morning of the 22nd of December my command moved from Murfreesborough, reaching the mouth of Limestone River on the evening of the 26th, where I found Brigadier General R. S. Granger, with his command, with four gun-boats, one armed transport (the Stone River), and five transports, with rations and forage forwarded from Chattanooga for my command.

December 27, having constructed the trestles and secured the plank necessary to bridge a lagoon, on the south side of the Tennessee River, the night previous, I moved a portion of my command, with the transports, convoyed by the gun-boats, down the river to a point three miles above Decatur, where a landing was effected, the lagoon rapidly bridged, the troops crossed, and pushed out in the direction of Decatur. The enemy attempted to check the crossing of the troops with artillery, which he posted within half a mile of where we were crossing the lagoon, but my advance having crossed before this artillery opened was rapidly pushed out and drove it off. At 3 p.m. the whole of my infantry had crossed, and at 7 p.m. was in possession of Decatur.

December 28, my artillery and cavalry was crossed; the command rationed and moved out three miles on the road to Courtland. The cavalry-the Fifteenth Pennsylvania, Colonel Palmer, and detachments of the Second Tennessee, Tenth, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Indiana, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Prosser, amounting in the aggregate to about 650 effective men, Colonel William J. Palmer, of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania, commanding-moved from Decatur at 8 p.m., and pushed rapidly forward, encountering the enemy six miles from the river, on the Courtland road, and at once attacked and routed him, capturing his artillery-a section of six-pounder brass guns.

December 29, my command moved at daylight, the cavalry in advance, and went into camp at 5 o'clock within four miles of Courtland. The infantry met no opposition. The cavalry skirmished most of the day advance of the infantry, driving the enemy rapidly toward Courtland. At Pound Spring, three miles northeast of Courtland, he made a stand, but was immediately charged and routed by my cavalry. The report of Colonel Palmer, commanding the cavalry, herewith forwarded, gives a full account of this staff.

December 30, my infantry moved to Courtland, and went into camp on the south side of the town on Big Nance Creek, the cavalry pushing on as far as Leighton, thirteen miles west of Courtland. At 5 p.m.