dark, and a severe driving rain-storm blowing, they were pursued no farther.

Johnson's division crossed and encamped beyond Nelson's Creek, repairing the destroyed bridge.

On the morning of the 28th instant I ordered out a strong reconnaissance, under Brigadier-General Willich, to learn whether the enemy had retired to Shelbyville or Murfreesborough. Pursuing 7 miles down the Shelbyville road, it was found that the enemy had turned to the left, having taken a dirt road which led into the Salem pike, thence to Murfreesborough.

Leaving the Third Brigade of Johnson's division at Triune, I marched, on the 29th, with my command on the Bole Jack road toward Murfreesborough. The road being a very bad one, the command did not reach Wilkinson's Cross-Roads (5 miles from Murfreesborough) until late in the evening.

My command was encamped in line of battle; Sheridan's division on the left of Wilkinson's pike; Davis' division on right of same road; Woodruff's brigade guarding the bridge over Overall's Creek; the two brigades of Johnson's division watching the right.

On that evening, believing that the enemy intended giving our army battle at or near Murfreesborough, I ordered the brigade left at Triune to join the command without delay,which it did on the 30th.

At 1 o'clock on the morning of the 30th I received an order from General Rosecrans to report in person at his headquarters, on the Murfreesborough pike, and arrived there at 3.30 a.m. I received my instructions, which were that the left of my line should rest on the right of General Negley's division, and my right was to be thrown forward until it became parallel, or nearly so, with Stone's River, the extreme right to rest on or near the Franklin road.

My entire command advanced at 9.30 a.m., Sheridan's division moving down the Wilkinson turnpike until its advance encountered the enemy's pickets. The line of battle was then formed, the left of Sheridan's division resting upon the Wilkinson pike and immediately upon General Negley's right; the remainder of Sheridan's division was deployed to the right, the line running in a southeasterly direction. Davis' division, which had already been deployed, moved up, his left resting upon Sheridan's right, Johnson's division being held in reserve. Our front was covered with a strong line of skirmishers, who soon became sharply engaged with the enemy's sharpshooters and skirmishers. The line moved forward but slowly,

as the enemy contested stubbornly every inch of ground gained by us. The ground was very favorable to them; they were under cover of a heavy wood and cedar thicket.

At 12 m. on the 30th the house of a Mr. Harding came within our lines. From that point I ascertained where the enemy's line of battle was, our skirmishers being then about 500 yards from it. The right, under General Davis, moved handsomely, by slowly, into position, as the ground over which he had to march was hotly contested by the enemy's skirmishers.

At 1 p.m. word was sent to General D. S. Stanley, chief of cavalry, that Colonel Zahm, commanding three regiments of cavalry on my right flank, was hard pressed by a superior force. I ordered one brigade of my reserve division to report to General Stanley, who conducted it to the Franklin road. On his approach the enemy, pressing Colonel Zahm, retired, and the brigade was ordered back to its former position.

At 2 p.m. a citizen living on the Franklin road, and about one-half mile in front of the enemy's line of battle, was sent me under guard by