Numbers 299. Report of Colonel William J. Palmer, Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, of operations December 20, 1864-January 6, 1865.

HDQRS. FIFTEENTH PENNSYLVANIA (ANDERSON) CAVALRY, Huntsville, January 10, 1865.

MAJOR: I have the honor to report, as directed by Major-General Steedman, the operations of my command since the 20th ultimo:

On the evening of December 19 I received orders to march with my regiment form Wauhatchie, near Chattanooga, where I was encamped, to Bridgeport, where transports would probably meet me to take my command to Decatur. I reached Bridgeport at 4 p. m. on the 20th, but found no transports,a nd after telegraphing the facts to General Steedman, at Murfreesborough, was directed by telegraph on the evening of the 22nd to march immediately to Huntsville. I accordingly started at 6 p. m. the same day, but was obliged to go into camp six of that stream being past fording and of the bridges having been swept away. I marched at daylight the next morning, and by taking circuitous route around the source of Widow's Creek, succeeded in reaching Stevenson with my wagons early in the afternoon. Here I met Major-General Steedman, who had just arrived by rail from Murfreesborough, and received from him verbal instructions to leave my wagons at Caperton's Ferry, to be shipped by transports to Decatur, and to march as rapidly as possible with my regiment to the same place. this march occupied four days and a half, the rise of water in Crow Creek and Paint Rock River making it necessary to go around by the head of Coon Creek and of Hurricane Fork of Paint Rock River, crossing the spur of the Cumberland Mountain which divides these streams at their source. On this route I had no difficulty in fording the water courses, and found sufficient forage for my command. I reached the north bank of the Tennessee River, opposite Decatur, at 1 p. m. of December 28, and by dark had finished crossing, the infantry and artillery of the expedition, with Lieutenant-Colonel Prosser's command of cavalry, having nearly finished crossing when I arrived at the river-bank. I at once received orders from Major-General Steedman to take command of Lieutenant-Colonel Prosser's cavalry (detachments of the Second Tennessee and Tenth, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Indiana, numbering in all about 300 effective men), in connection with my own regiemtn, and ot advance on the Courtland road. After feeding the horses I started at p. m., and reaching a hill two miles from Decatur saw the camp fires of the enemy on an elevation about two miles beyond. Halting the command I took a battalion of 130 men of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry and advanced to reconnoitre the enemy's strength and position. On nearing the lights their pickets fired, when I ordered my advance guard of thirty men to charge, which they did so boldly that the enemy's strength and position. On nearing the lights their pickets fired, when I ordered my advance guard of thirty men to charge, which they did so boldly that the enemy, who proved to be Colonel Windes' regiment, of Roddey's command, had not time to form but fled in disorder down the road, followed closely by my advance guard for one mile, when the enemy attempted to make a stand to cover his artillery. Another vigorous charge by our advance however,drove him form his guns (two 6-pounders), which fell into our hands, with all the horses standing hitched to them in the road. We then went into camp (10 p. m.) to rest the men and animal for the next day's work. Thus in

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