Nearly all of the operations of the day, however, came under my personal observations and partial returns as have been forwarded by brigade commanders, I have the honor to present the following report:

The Second Brigade, Colonel La Grange commanding, with one section of the Eighteenth Indiana Battery, having been, in accordance with orders of the general commanding, removed from our front on the morning of the 29th instant, before daybreak, and sent toward Dandridge, the remaining three pieces of the Eighteenth Indiana Battery, with one regiment(Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry) of the First Brigade, were placed on position immediately east of Mossy Creek, and Colonel Campbell was ordered to cover our entire division line near Talbott's Station with his remaining force, only two regiments, Second Michigan and First East Tennessee Cavalry. The wagon train had been sent to the rear before daylight, and I moved my headquarters to Mossy Creek. About 9 a. m. I received a message from Colonel Campbell informing me that the enemy were advancing in line of battle and in force.

In accordance with orders he had previously received, he fell back slowly, his command stubbornly resisting the overwhelmingly superior numbers of the enemy till he reached a position in the timber, on the left of the Morristown road, east of Mossy Creek.

At this time the Eighteenth Indiana Battery, Captain Lilly commanding opened upon the advancing columns of the enemy, checking them for some time, but drawing upon his battery of three pieces the fire of eight guns of the enemy, placed in commanding positions, and served with great rapidly and terrible precision. Captain Lilly's for over two and one-half hours, kept up his fire on the rebel guns, and poured canister into the enemy's charging columns till the killing of many of his horses, the killing and disabling of some of his gunners, and the exhaustion of his men compelled him to retire. In so doing, by the unmanageableness of some of his horses, one piece was left upon the ground, the enemy obtaining temporary possession of it, but by a gallant saber charge, made by Lieutenant Miller's detachment of scouts, the gun was recaptured and brought off. Upon the withdrawal of the battery, the enemy charged in heavy columns and with great determination upon the force in the woods on the left, which was occupied by Colonel Campbell with two regiments of his brigade and the One hundred and eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which had been sent across the creek by general Sturgis as a support to Lilly's battery. The enemy were repulsed with great loss, and upon making a demonstration of preparing for another charge, the First East Tennessee (Colonel Brownlow commanding),by a dashing saber charge, threw their columns into confusion and drove them back, capturing a lieutenant and 25 other prisoners. The enemy having been driven from the timber, the entire line upon the left was retired to the hill on the left of Mossy Creek, and Captain Lilly's battery was also placed in position there.

The Chucky Bend road on the right,upon which a large force of the enemy appeared, being only partially covered by the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry (Colonel Palmer commanding) in small force, the Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry (Colonel Jordan) had been, by the orders of General Elliott, withdrawn from the battery and placed in position on the right of the enemy in check. A regiment of infantry subsequently took position on the right, but was not at any time