No. 171. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Merriam, One hundred and seventeenth Illinois Infantry, of operations December 15-16, 1864.

HEADQUARTERS 117TH REGIMENT ILLINOIS INFANTRY,
In the Field, Tenn., December 22, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my command in the battle of Nashville on the 15th and 16th of December:

Early in the morning of the 15th the Third Brigade, having been massed in front of our works, with the right resting on the Hardin pike, I was ordered by the colonel commanding brigade to move forward, deploy skirmishers, and support them with the regiment; also to conform the movements of the skirmish line with that of the First Brigade, on the left, with which it was to connect. Acting under these instructions the command was moved forward until a dense canebrake had been passed and an advance of nearly a mile had been gained, when an order reached me from the brigade commander to halt the regiment until the rest of the brigade could come up, but to continue the advance of the skirmish line. After the rest of the brigade had come up I moved (by order of the colonel commanding brigade) to the left to connect with the troops of the First Brigade. Meanwhile the skirmishers had become engaged with the enemy. From this time the regiment held the left of the brigade and advanced with the general line, but the several movements of the brigade to the left threw the skirmishers (who did not conform to the movements of the brigade, but moved forward in a nearly direct line) in the front of General McArthur's division. When the final movement was made upon the enemy's works, the skirmishers charged gallantly and captured 3 Rodman guns and over 40 prisoners. Lieutenant Potter, commanding Company B of the skirmishers, turned one of the guns upon the enemy, but could not fire it for lack of fuses. When the next advance was made the guns and prisoners were left in the hands of the troops who were coming up behind the skirmish line.

I will here mention that the Companies A and B and their officers-Captain H. W. Wood and Second Lieutenant G. W. Brown, of the first, and First Lieutenant G. W. Potter, commanding the latter company-composing the skirmish line, behaved with great gallantry during the entire day.

In the action of the 16th the regiment did not become engaged until the general charge was ordered at 4 p.m. In this movement the regiment was on the left of the brigade and was exposed to a severe fire from a rebel battery, from which it suffered considerably, but did not falter. In this charge the regiment captured (as reported by the officer in charge of prisoners) 100 prisoners, also 2 guns. Private Wilbur F. Moore,* Company C, captured one battery flag, and was far in advance of the line when he did so. There were other instances of individual bravery and coolness, but when all behaved so gallantly I refrain from particular mention.

Inclosed is the surgeon's list of casualties.+

I have the honor to be, lieutenant, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. MERRIAM,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.

Lieutenant J. D. COBINE,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

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*Awarded a Medal of Honor.

+Embodied in table, p.101.

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