No. 34.

Report of Captain Joseph A. Sims, Twenty-fourth Indiana Battery.

HDQRS. TWENTY-FOURTH BATTERY INDIANA Volunteers, Near Knoxville, Tennessee, November 28, 1863.

COLONEL; I have the honor to submit the following report of my command, and the part taken by it in the several engagements since our departure from the front at Loudon:

Information having been received on the 14th that the enemy had succeeded in crossing the Tennessee River in force at some point below Loudon, my command, temporarily attached to the Second Brigade, was ordered, at an early hour, to move to Lenoir's, at which place the column was reversed and moved back to the Tennessee River, to a point near Huff's Ferry, where our advance, composed of the Thirteenth Kentucky, commanded by Colonel William E. Hobson, and the One hundred and seventh Illinois, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Lowry, encountered the enemy, and, after a sharp engagement, gallantly drove the enemy from the cover under which they had been fighting, and held the ground at nightfall. My command, being held in reserve, was not engaged. On the following morning the brigade, with the battery, was moved back to Lenoir's, where we encamped for the night.

At 4 o'clock on the morning of the 16th, my command, with the brigade, moved in the direction of Knoxville, arriving at Campbell's Station, an intermediate point, at about 10 p.m., where the brigade was drawn up in line of battle to check the progress of the enemy, who were closely pursuing us. The battery was ordered to take position on a rising piece of ground immediately on the left of the Knoxville road in front of Swann's house. The Thirteenth Kentucky and Twenty-third Michigan were thrown upon our right,the Henshaw battery, the One hundred and eleventh Ohio, and the One hundred and seventh Illinois occupying the left. At 11 a.m. the enemy, in line, of battle, came within range of our guns, when we immediately opened fire upon his advancing lines, which was continued with effect for some time, the enemy meanwhile slowly but steadily advancing until his skirmishers were within easy rifle range of the battery and his lines had gained the bank of the creek on our front. At this point our guns, charged with canister, poured upon the enemy a destructive fire, which for the time effectually checked his progress.

The enemy in the meantime had advanced his artillery, placing one battery upon our right and one upon our left, which, from the natural advantage of the ground, enabled him to concentrate upon us a heavy fire, to which, from the peculiar inclination of the position occupied by us, we could not reply. We, however, maintained our ground until our ammunition was nearly exhausted, two of our guns disabled, 1 man wounded, and 6 of our horses killed, when we were ordered, with our four remaining guns, to occupy an elevated position on the right of the Knoxville road, about a half mile in the rear of the one first taken, where we again awaited the approach of the enemy.

His long lines, stretching to the woods on either side of the valley, again came forward, and we again opened fire upon his left, which effectually scattered his ranks and compelled him to seek