Statement of Lieutenant J. R. Boone, adjutant of the regiment.

On the 1st day of May five companies of Twenty-eighth Kentucky Volunteers (Companies A, B, D, E, and F) arrived at Gallatin, Tenn.; the remainder of the regiment was scattered along the railroad line back to Lebanon, Ky. These five companies were together at Gallatin doing duty until after the fight at Lebanon, Tenn., when Companies A and E were sent as a garrison for Lebanon, Tenn., and Company F sent to Hartsville, Tenn., and Companies B and D were left at Gallatin, together with one company of the Fiftieth Indiana. In about three weeks Company F was recalled to Gallatin and Company D ordered to Lebanon. There were then three companies of the Twenty-eighth Kentucky and three companies of Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry at Lebanon and two companies, B and F, of Twenty-eighth Kentucky at Gallatin. These two companies were called to Nashville to go with General Dumont to Murfreesborough; they were again sent back to Nashville, and from there to Franklin, Tenn., where they guarded the whole line of the railroad down to Columbia. They were finally relieved and returned to Gallatin. Upon their return the three camps which were at Lebanon were ordered to report to Colonel Boone at Gallatin, and it was promised that the regiment which had for so long a time been doing guard duty should be brought together and put forward. But in a few days we were ordered to guard the two tunnels and eight bridges on the railroad from the Kentucky line to within about 15 miles of Nashville. Accordingly Company D was stationed at the tunnel 7 miles above Gallatin. The captain was ordered to keep at least 20 men there, and with the rest of his company keep at the other tunnel, water-tank, and bridges north of him. This left Companies A, B, E, and F at Gallatin, generally averaging about 65 men each fit for duty. To the bridge north of Gallatin and south of tunnel and to each of the three bridges south of Gallatin were sent a sergeant and 10 men, until we were relieved by a lieutenant and a squad of men, who took charge of the bridge nearest Nashville. This duty, besides guarding the depot and water-tank at Gallatin and the necessary picket and camp duty, we performed until Murfreesborough was attacked and Nashville threatened, when we were ordered to leave one company at Gallatin and with the other three companies repair by rail to Nashville. We were on the cars and off in twenty minutes.

At Nashville we did a heavy duty; slept on the bare ground under the canopy of heaven, and could get nothing to eat from Sunday at 11 o'clock, when we started, till Monday at 12. When General Nelson was near Nashville with his re-enforcements we were ordered back to Gallatin, and found evidence that had the place not have been re-enforced Company F stationed there would have been cut off. We had reports of a force concentrating at Sparta and Hartsville and apprised the authorities at Nashville of the fact, and asked for some cavalry to scout in that direction, but got none.

About this time Forrest, who had taken Murfreesborough, where two regiments were posted, was advancing on Lebanon, where the Fifty-fourth Ohio was stationed. They burned their camp equipage and baggage and retreated to Nashville. Thus we were left at Gallatin with four companies, reduced to mere squads by heavy details, and Forrest, with a force supposed to be about 3,000 at Lebanon, 17 miles distant. Time and again we apprised Colonel Miller, commanding at Nashville, of our critical situation and asked to be re-enforced. They told us they could not even send us a company of cavalry to watch the river, and we