No. 16.

Report of Colonel David Morrison, Seventy-ninth New York Infantry, commanding First Brigade.

HDQRS. FIRST BRIG., FIRST DIV., NINTH ARMY CORPS, Knoxville, Tennessee, December 5, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to forward you the following detailed report of the operations of this brigade since leaving Lenoir's Station,on the 14th of November, to this date:

On the afternoon of Saturday, the 14th November, I moved from Lenoir's Station in the direction of Loudon; arrived there about 4 p.m. Halted about fifteen minutes, and took the road leading to Huff's Ferry, near which place we arrived between 6 and 7 p.m., formed line of battle, and rested for the night.

On Sunday, the 15th, received orders to move back in the rear of Roemer's battery. Owing to the bad state of the roads our progress was very slow. The troops were directed to bring off the batteries, and, if necessary, to carry them over the hills, which were very steep. This was accomplished without accident. We passed Loudon on our way back, and arrived at Lenoir's Station about 3 p.m. I was then ordered to take up a position on the Kingston road, about 500 yards from Lenoir's Station, and support Roemer's battery which was in position at that place. About 4 p.m. I was ordered to picket the Loudon road with 25 men, and the cross-roads leading to Huff's Ferry with the same number. This party,in command of Lieutenant Jeffers, Forty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and under direction of Lieutenant Daniels, of General Ferrero's staff, and Lieutenant Donaldson, of my own staff, proceeded about 2 miles on the Kingston road, when they were attacked by the enemy in force advancing toward Lenoir's Station. The picket party deployed in line of skirmishers and fought the enemy, retiring slowly. About this time I arrived and found the enemy making a flank movement in order to cut them off. I ordered them to fall back at once, which they did just in time to clear their line of skirmishers. I was then ordered to make a stand about 500 yards in front of Roemer's battery, and

deployed the Eighth Michigan Volunteers as skirmishers, with 25 men of the Forty-fifth, who were still in skirmish line on the right. My right rested on the mill-dam; my left extended toward the Loudon road, forming a semicircle; the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers and Thirty-sixth Massachusetts Volunteers in the center as a reserve. About 9 p.m. my skirmish line was attacked by the enemy in force on the right and was forced back about 25 yards, where the line was maintained for the remainder of the night.

At 5.30 a.m. [16th], I was surprised by my line of skirmishers falling back. I endeavored to stop them, but found I could not do so without attracting the notice of the enemy, whom I distinctly heard moving his forces at the same time. I fell slowly back toward Lenoir's Station, sending word to the general commanding of the state of matters in the front. The skirmishers on the right of the Kingston road, and in front of the enemy, under direction of Captain John Windsor, acting assistant adjutant-general, held the original line. When I had withdrawn a sufficient distance to act without attracting notice of the enemy, I deployed two companies of the Thirty-sixth Massachusetts Volunteers, advanced them slowly, and formed junction with my line on the right. At this time orders cam to