I left Florence, Ala., on the 21st of November with my command, moving with its corps, via Waynesborough and Mount Pleasant, to near Columbia, Tenn., and went into bivouac on the 26th day of November, on the Shelbyville turnpike. The succeeding day and night was followed with slight skirmishing on the line around Columbia.

At daylight on the morning of the 29th I moved to Duck River, four miles above Columbia, and crossed on the pontoon bridge at 7.30 o'clock, which was as soon as I could do so, having to wait for General Cleburne's division, which had the advance. I moved that day in rear of that division to the neighborhood of Spring Hill, a distance of twelve miles. After moving rapidly for several miles and wading the creek I deployed my division in line of battle, in obedience to orders from General Cheatham to form and move on Cleburne's left, Jackson on the right, and Smith in echelon on the left of front line, Colonel R. Bullock, commanding the Florida brigade, supporting the left. Not seeing General Cheatham as the moment of forming my line of battle, General Hood, who was personably present, directed me to move to the turnpike and sweep toward Columbia. General Cleburne, being in advance, formed and moved forward before it was possible for me to do so, and changed front without stopping and without my knowing the fact, owing to intervening hills obstructing the view. As soon as ascertained I conformed to the movement as well as I could and pushed forward in the direction of the enemy, who held the turnpike. It was now getting dark, and I had moved more than a mile in line of battle. Cleburne had been engaged; with what success I did not know. Procuring a guide, learning the exact locality of the enemy and the general direction of the turnpike, I changed direction to the right again, and was moving so as to strike the turnpike to the right of Major Nat. Cheer's residence, which I believed would bring me near Cleburne's left; Caswell's battalion of sharpshooters, deployed as skirmishers, was within 100 yards of and commanded the turnpike, checking the enemy's movement along it in my front, and my lines were being adjusted for a further forward movement, when I received an order, through Lieutenant Schell, from General Cheatham to halt and join my right to General Cleburne's left. My main line was within 200 yards of the turnpike when Major Caswell's battalion fired into the enemy on the pike. He (the enemy) veered to his left, as I subsequently ascertained, and took a road leaving the pike near Doctor McKessick's. I obeyed the order of General Cheatham, and with delay and difficulty, it being in the night and near the enemy, I ascertained the left of Cleburne's line, which had retired some distance to the rear of my right. I made known to General Cheatham the fact of the enemy threatening my left, and called for force to protect it. My left brigade was retired to confront any movement from that direction, and during the night (perhaps 10 o'clock) General Johnson's division, of Lee's corps, was moved to my left. My command so disposed as to be an extension of Cleburne's line, with its left retired, I bivouacked between 9 and 10 o'clock for the night. At daylight there was no enemy in my front.

Early on the morning of the 30th of November I was ordered to follow Cleburne and bring up the rear of Cheatham's corps. In pursuance thereof I moved down the Franklin turnpike to the rear of Winston's Hill, three miles from Franklin, where our forces were being deployed and lines formed. About 3 o'clock in the evening I was ordered by General Cheatham to move my command by the left flank, pass a gap in the ridge to the left, circle around a mound which rose in the plain