No. 167. Report of Captain William C. Jones, Tenth Kansas Infantry, of operations December 15-16, 1864.

HEADQUARTERS TENTH KANSAS VETERAN INFANTRY,
December 20, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report the part taken by the Tenth Kansas Veteran Volunteer Infantry in the battle of Nashville, December 15 and 16, 1864:

On the evening of the 14th instant I received orders from brigade headquarters to move the following morning at 6 o'clock, with three days' rations in haversacks and one blanket to the man. The command was immediately put in readiness to move, in compliance therewith. At a few minutes after 6 o'clock on the morning of the 15th instant I received orders from Lieutenant W. G. Donnan, acting assistant adjutant-general, to move my command to the skirmish line and relieve the three companies then on that duty. I at once moved to the front and relieved them as directed, placing thirty men on the right, under Lieutenant George W. May, and fifty more of Company B on the left, under command of Lieutenant J. E. Thorpe, holding in reserve Company A, numbering seventy-seven men, twenty of Company B, and eight of Company C, all under the command of Captain George D. Brooke. At 9 a.m. I received orders from Lieutenant Eisenhart, aide-de-camp, to advance my line as soon as the skirmishers of the brigade on my right came into line. I ordered my line forward, moving to the front without opposition for about 100 yards, when we came within range of the enemy's skirmishers, which for a moment checked the advance of my line; but soon the enemy found shelter behind fences and logs, and [we] quickly dislodged the enemy's skirmishers from their entrenched position. My line then advanced, driving them back to their reserve and to within 400 yards of their main works, where we were again checked. I accordingly ordered the line re-enforced by thirty men, under command of Lieutenant John Bryan, which, being thus strengthened, advanced, driving the rebel skirmishers into their line of entrenchments, which, being reached, his main line opened with canister, grape, and musketry upon us. I then ordered the line re-enforced by seventy-five men of Company A, under command of Lieutenant R. W. Wood. As soon as the line was strengthened the men found shelter behind trees and stumps, about 200 yards from the enemy's line of works, so that they had perfect range upon that portion of his works in my front, completely silencing his battery which had given me so much trouble. I held this position until 4 p.m., when the main line came up. I then drew off my skirmishers and joined my brigade, which I found about three-quarters of a mile to my left. My loss was 19 wounded.

Surg. D. H. Tuttle was ordered by the brigade surgeon in the morning to go to the front with a train of ambulances.

On the morning of the 16th I was ordered by Lieutenant William G. Donnan, acting assistant adjutant-general, to form my command fifty paces in rear of the brigade. When the advance was ordered I moved the Tenth Kansas, in obedience to the above instructions, until the brigade was halted under the shelter of a hill from the enemy's artillery. I then moved my command to within ten days of the rear of the brigade, where we lay under fire of the enemy's guns until 4 o'clock, when the charge was ordered, when the men sprang to their feet and advanced