doned one caisson body which broke down on the road and could not be repaired. Most of the articles abandoned were destroyed and rendered useless.

I have expended the following ammunition since leaving Lenoir's Station: Twenty-five solid shot, 28 canister, 216 shell, and 239 case-shot. Have remaining on hand 71 solid shot, 92 canister, 172 shell, and 49 case-shot.

I wish to mention the name of Sergt. Charles C. Gray as having particularly distinguished himself by his behavior on the morning of November 29 during the assault on the fort.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. W. BUCKLEY,

Captain, Comdg. Battery D, First Rhode Island Artillery.

Captain GEORGE A. HICKS,

Asst. Adjt. Gen., First Division, Ninth Army Corps.

HDQRS. BATTY. D, FIRST RHODE, ISLAND LT. ARTY., Camp at Blain's

Cross-Roads, Tennessee, December 18, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to forward the following report of the operations of my battery since leaving Cincinnati:*

October 20 to 22.- Marched to Loudon, 30 miles.

October 28.- Marched to Lenoir's Station, and camped.

November 15.- Longstreet's corps crossed river below Loudon and advanced toward our camps. At 7 p.m. ordered to march to Campbell's Station. It had been raining for two days, and the roads were in dreadful condition. It was almost an impossibility to move artillery. At 11.30 p.m. I had marched 3 miles and my horses were completely worn out. Lieutenant Benjamin, Second U. S. Artillery, and myself rode back to General Burnside's headquarters and represented the state of things to the general. He ordered ten mule teams turned over to each of us, burning the wagons for that purpose, and also ordered us to abandon the rear part of our caissons if we could not get along with the help of the mule teams. I got through to Campbell's Station at 9.30 a.m. of November 16. I was forced to abandon my battery wagon body and contents and the rear part of one of my caissons. They were destroyed and rendered useless. At 10.30 a.m. wentinto position. At 11 a.m. engaged enemy and continued in action until 4 p.m. At 5 p.m. ordered to Knoxville. Arrived at 11.30 p.m. One of my caisson axles broke on this march, and I was ordered to abandon the rear part of the caisson.

November 17.- Battery ordered into position at Fort Sanders.

November 18.- Threw shell at enemy's skirmishers. From the 18th to 29th remained in position in Fort Sanders. The enemy advanced their rifle-pits nearer each night, until their sharpshooters were within 125 yards of the fort, and forced our men to keep close under cover to avoid being picked off. I shelled their pits and batteries more or less every day. During the night of the 28th, they drove in our skirmishers the whole length of our line, and at daylight of the 29th, made an assault on the right bastion of the fort with nine picked regiments from Longstreet's corps. They charged desperately and succeeded in gaining the ditch of the fort and planting their colors

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*For portion (here omitted) relating to operations from August 15 to October 19, see Series I, Vol. XXX, II,p.600.

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