carried the pit and held it until just one-half the number that he had taken out with him were either killed or wounded, when a large force of the enemy charging the pit he ordered the regiment to fall back to its camp.

The 25th, and 27th were comparatively quiet days, and until the evening of the 28th, when, at 11 p.m., a general advance was made by the enemy's line, and the pickets inn my front, together with those of the brigade on my right and left, were driven in nearly to the works.

At daylight of the 29th an assault was made by the enemy on the western salient of Fort Sanders. When the assault was made there was of my command two companies of the Twentieth Michigan and one of the One hundredth Pennsylvania within the fort, and four companies of the Second Michigan in the ditch across the southwestern front of the fort. These companies maintained their position in the ditch until the enemy's column reached it, then retired within the fort and aided in repelling the assault. A truce suspended for the remainder of the day any further operations.

The regiments were kept the 30th within their pits ready for an anticipated attack from the enemy, but none was made.

December 1,2,3, and 4.- With the exception of picket firing, these were very quiet days.

December 5.- This morning the enemy had disappeared from my front, and during the day the men passed beyond our lines and into the deserted camps of the enemy; found and brought in as prisoners some 70 or 80 who had failed to get away with their retreating commands.

Here ends the operations of my command, initiated by the advance of the army from Lenoir's, followed by the falling back of the army from Lenoir's, followed by the falling back of the army to Campbell's Station; a battle at this point, thence a severe night march to Knoxville, through the siege of the latter place, and closing with the raising of the siege during the nights of December 4 and 5. The service performed was extremely severe, and the loss in officers and men heavy, as shown by the following table:

Command. Killed. Wounded. Missing. Total.

2nd Michigan:

Officers 2 5 ---- 7

Enlisted men 25 78 21 124

100th Pennsylvania:

Officers ---- 1 ---- 1

Enlisted men 4 10 ---- 14

20th Michigan:

Officers 1 4 ---- 5

Enlisted men 4 41 17 62

17th Michigan:

Officers 2 2 1 5

Enlisted men 12 46 26 84

Aggregate ---- ---- ---- 302

For details of the part taken by the several regiments of my command in the operations of the twenty-one days from November 14 to December 5, inclusive, I refer you to the reports of regimental commanders, copies of which are forwarded with this report.

In closing you will allow me to add that it was the fortune of the