destroying many of the houses. With a section of artillery and a small force of infantry, I drove them, wounding and killing 30 and taking 25 prisoners. A captain of artillery left his boots, letters, sponges, staff buckets, on the ground. We lost one man wounded. The enemy's cavalry all around, but I think in small bodies. We forage without molestation. No enemy near here that I know of. Cheatham reported coming this way through Triune. All right here, and will endeavor to keep it so.

LOVELL H. ROUSSEAU,

Major-General.

Brigadier General W. D. WHIPPLE,

Chief of Staff.

Numbers 209. Reports of Major General Robert H. Milroy, U. S. Army, of operations December 4 and 7, 1864.

GENERAL: In obedience to your orders I proceeded ont the afternoon of the 4th instant ot the relief of the block-house at Overall's Creek, four miles and a half north of this place, on the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, which was besieged by a considerable rebel force with artillery. I took with me, by your order, the eighth Regiment Minnesota Veteran Volunteer Infantry, Sixty-first Regiemtn Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry, One hundred and seventy-fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and a section of the Thirteenth New York Artillery, under Lieutenant McGurrin. I proceeded on the Nashville pike to Overall's Creek, where I found the Thirteenth Indiana Cavalry (Colonel Johnson), who preceded me some hours, engaged in skirmishing with the enemy's sharpshooters, who were deployed across the creek. I threw Lieutenant McGurrin, with his section of artillery, forward to the bluff of the creek, who engaged the enemy's battery in gallant style, which was posted on an eminence about 900 yards distant, on the opposite side of the creek, between the railroad and the Nashville pike. I at once deployed the sixty-first Illinois as skirmishers, and sent up the Eighth Minnesota tot he block-house at the railroad crossing, about half a mile below the pike, with orders to cross there, if practicable, and flank the rebel battery on the right. I then advanced the galling fire, and drove back the rebel sharpshooters. I then threw forward the one hundred and seventy-fourth Ohio Volunteers Infantry (Colonel Jones), who crossed the bridge under a sharp fire, both of artillery and small-arms, and formed in good rider on the opposite bank. Being under the impression that the force opposing me consisted of a portion of Forrest' cavalry, dismounted, I supposed that their three-gun battery operating against us could be run over had taken by Colonel Johnson with his gallant regiment, who were anxious to try the experiment. So, after the One hundred and seventy-fourth Ohio had formed on the north bank of the creek, the ground being favorable for a cavalry charge and the smoke of the battery and approaching darkness