received orders directing me to send one brigade to Leighton, and with the others to remain where the order reached me until Colonel Palmer was heard from. In compliance with this order I went into bivouac with the First and Second Brigades Colored Troops and sent the Reserve Brigade to Leighton. On the 4th of January received orders to move to Courtland, as Colonel Palmer had been heard from and was on his way to Decatur, having destroyed the pontoon and another of the enemy's trains. On arriving at Courtland found that the general commanding, with the First Division, had gone to Decatur, orders having been left for me to follow with my command. On the 5th moved to within four miles of Decatur, where I received orders to move the my old command (the Second Brigade Colored Troops) to Nashville, Tenn. On the 6th of January moved of the terminus of the railroad opposite Decatur and waited transportation. On the 7th sent the Twelfth Regiment off, on the 8th started, for Nashville with the Thirteenth and One hundredth Regiments. On arriving at Larkinsville found that the rebel General Lyon had cut the road, and was sent in pursuit of him by General Cruft, who was at Larkinsville. Moved to Scottsborough on the morning of the 9th, and found that Lyon had gone toward the Tennessee River. In conjunction with Colonel Malloy's brigade started in pursuit on the Guntersville road. On the 10th overtook Mitchell's brigade and marched to Law's Landing, where, by order of General Cruft, I took post. On the 11th I received orders to return to Larkinsville, as Lyon had escaped across the Tennessee River. Arrived at Larkinsville on the evening of the 12th, and loaded troops the next evening (13th) and started for Nashville, at which place we arrived at 4 p.m. on the 15th day of January, 1865.

The conduct of the troops during the whole campaign was most soldierly and praiseworthy. Before making the assault on the enemy's works the knapsacks of the troops comprising the Second Brigade were laid aside, and after the works were taken, being ordered to go in pursuit, these were left, and without blankets or any extra clothing, and more than one-half the time without fifty good shoes in the whole brigade, this whole campaign was made with a most cheerful spirit existing. For six days rations were most issued, yet vigorous pursuit was made after the rebel General Lyon.

To Colonel John A. Hottenstein, Thirteenth U. S. Colored Infantry, commanding Second Brigade Colored Troops, Colonel Morgan, Fourteenth U. S. Colored Infantry, commanding First Brigade U. S. Colored Troops, and Colonel Felix Prince Salm, Sixty-eighth New York Volunteer Infantry, commanding Reserve Brigade, my thanks are due, and are warmly given, for their promptness to answer every call and for their great assistance to me in helping to lighten the heavy responsibility that chance had thrown upon me.

Of the officers of my staff-Captain Henry A. Norton, Twelfth U. S. Colored Infantry, acting assistant inspector general; Lieutenant George W. Fitch, Twelfth U. S. Colored Infantry, acting assistant quartermaster, wounded by the enemy after having ben taken prisoner while taking stores to the command; Lieutenant William H. Wildey, Twelfth U. S. Colored Infantry, ordnance officer; Lieutenant John D. Reily, Thirteenth U. S. Colored Infantry, acting aide-de-camp; Lieutenant Thomas L. Sexton, Twelfth U. S. Colored Infantry, acting assistant adjutant-general; Lieutenant D. A. Grosvenor, One hundredth U. S. Colored Infantry, acting aide-de-camp, who, after having been wounded in three places, took the colors of his regiment from close to the enemy's earth-works, the color-bearer having been killed; and Lieutenant R. G. Sylvester, Twelfth U. S. Colored Infantry,

35 R R-VOL XLV, PT I