Twenty-third Michigan Volunteers Infantry arrived en route at Campbell's Station, a distance of 9 miles, about 11 o'clock that morning. About noon the regiment was, by your direction, formed in line of battle behind a small branch (or creek) in a meadow to the left of the highway as one approaches Knoxville, and on the right of the Thirteenth Kentucky Infantry Volunteers Shortly after as the rear guard of the army came in, I was ordered by you to take up a new position about 200 yards toward the enemy, just in advance of a barn. A brigade of the Ninth Corps occupied the position between the right of my regiment and the woods which skirted the open fields to our right, and which were distant about 60 perches. I had previously thrown forward Captain Buckingham's company (A) as skirmishers, who had orders from you to retire without engaging the enemy.

About 1.30 p.m.the enemy advanced a line of skirmishers on our front. Captain Buckingham's company (A) retired in accordance with your instructions, leaving only the skirmishers of the Thirteenth Kentucky on the front of the right with of your brigade. At this juncture my regiment occupied the right center of our front, and was so placed that the right wing was on a slope looking toward the front and the woods before mentioned on our right, while the left wing occupied the crest and slope descending from our front. Directly afterward the skirmishers of the Thirteenth Kentucky Volunteers came in, leaving my regiment exposed to a galling fire from the enemy's skirmishers on our front and on our right, which was replied to with considerable effect by Captain Raymond's company (F), which I had posted in the barn above mentioned. Having received orders from you to hold this position at all hazards, I remained there with my regiment about two hours, suffering a loss of 6 enlisted men killed, 1 officer slightly wounded, and of enlisted men 2 mortally, 13 seriously, and 9 slightly wounded. At the end of that time, perceiving the enemy making preparations to throw a light battery into position on our front, at a distance of about 700 yards (which I was unable to prevent), I sent an orderly to the rear to find you or some officer of your staff, in order that I might apprise you of the necessity of my forming a new line about 40 yards to the rear of my position, which could be sheltered by the crest of a ridge on the exposed of which the regiment was then posted. Presently Lieutenant Montgomery, your acting assistant adjutant-general, came up. I explained the exigency to him, posted the markers and colors on the new line, and had just given orders for the new formation when the enemy opened his battery with a fire of spherical case, canister, and grape with great precision, but fortunately with little effect beyond dislodging Captain Raymond's company (F) from the barn already mentioned.

About half an hour after the formation of this new line I received orders from you through Captain Gallup, brigade inspector on your staff, to march in retreat. This, therefore, I proceeded to do, unmasking our batteries, and exposed to the rear and severe fire of the enemy's artillery crossing the highway leading toward Knoxville, and continuing beyond the range of the enemy's batteries, with no further loss and without confusion or trepidation in the ranks of the regiment. We remained in this new position until nightfall, when the regiment took position in column of the brigade which formed the rear guard of the army, and about 7 p.m. proceeded toward Knoxville, which place we reached about 4 a.m., Tuesday, the 17th instant, having been under arms without rest four nights and three