with the enemy just beyond Brentwood, drove him back to Hollow Tree Gap, four miles north of Franklin, where he made a stand. General Knipe attacked with the main part of the brigade, while General Hammond, with the balance, turned the position and attacked the rebels in flank. About 250 prisoners and 5 battle-flags were taken, and the enemy driven rapidly beyond the Harpeth River, at Franklin. General Knipe's command captured one gun near the river. He crossed the Harpeth near the railroad bridge. Johnson's division, with Harrison's brigade, having pushed out at 4 a. m. on the Hillsborough road and crossed, came up the south bank of the Harpeth and entered Franklin about the same time. Hatch, having struck the Franklin pike two miles south of Brentwood, pushed to the left and crossed at the ford on the Murfreesborough road. Croxton crossed at his old crossing tow miles above the town. The rebels, finding Johnson on their flank, fell back to a strong position on the Columbia pike tow miles south of Franklin, leaving his hospitals, about 2,000 wounded, and 10,000 rations in our hands. Hatch moved out between the Lewisburg and Columbia pikes; Knipe on the Columbia pike; and Johnson on the Carter's Creek pike. General Knipe attacked by the front, while Hatch and Johnson moved upon the enemy's flanks, and although the rebel rear guard was composed of Stevenson's division of infantry [and] Buford's division of cavalry, it was pressed rapidly back, with heavy skirmishing, to a position just north of the West Harpeth River. At this place it had become so dark, and our troops so close upon the enemy, that it was with difficulty our troops could be distinguished from the rebels. Hammond's brigade was deployed on the extreme right, Hatch's division across the pike and through the fields to the left. The Fourth U. S. Cavalry, my escort, Lieutenant Hedges commanding formed in column of ours on the pike. Generals Hatch and Hammond advanced rapidly and the Fourth Cavalry at the charge. The enemy's line, broken and driven back, fled in great confusion; the flanks of our lines pressed on rapidly. General Hammond's brigade, crossing West Harpeth, struck the enemy on the pike again in flank, while Coon's brigade, on the right of the road, the Fourth Cavalry on the pike, pressed close upon their rear. The enemy abandoned three 12-pounders and the carriage of a fourth. These guns can scarcely be called the capture of any particular division or regiment, though they were actually withdrawn from the field by the Fourth Cavalry, my staff, and General Hatch in person. One of them has been credited to the Fourth Cavalry and the other tow to Hatch's division, though the charge of General Hammond, with the Tenth Indiana, upon the enemy's flank, a quarter of a mile beyond, had probably a greater influence in causing their abandonment then the operations of General Hatch's command.

The conduct of the troops in this affair was most admirable, particularly that of the Fourth U. S. Cavalry, the Second Iowa, and Tenth Indiana. Brigadier-General Hammond, Lieutenant-Colonel Gresham, Tenth Indiana, and Lieutenant Hedges, Fourth U. S. Cavalry, were particularly conspicuous. The good management and bravery of General Hatch, the shill, untiring energy with which he commanded his division, are worthy of the highest commendation. Night saved the enemy's rear guard from complete destruction.

The 18th the pursuit was renewed at dawn, in the same order, Johnson on the Carter's Creek pike, Hatch and Knipe on the Columbia pike, and Croxton on the Lewisburg pike. The enemy's rear guard was soon encountered by the advanced skirmishers, but, in spite of the most strenuous efforts on the part of our troops, could not be again brought