No. 37. Report of Lieut. Col. Fielder A. Jones, Thirty-ninth Indiana Infantry.

CAMP NEAR MURFREESBOROUGH, TENN., January 7, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Thirty-ninth Regiment of Indiana Volunteers since December 25, 1862:

Nothing of note occurred after breaking camp near Nashville, Tenn., until the regiment arrived on the field of operations in the enemy's front, near Murfreesborough, Tenn., where it arrived December 30, 1862.

I was ordered to detail five companies from the Thirty-ninth Indiana for picket duty during the night. My orders were to join the left of my line of battle of the brigade being nearly at right angles with that of the right wing.

I was ordered to detail five companies from the Thirty-ninth Indiana for picket duty during the night. My orders were to join the left of my line with the right of General Kirk, and join my right on the left of the picket line of the Thirty-second, and leave the five reserve companies in line of battle, facing toward my picket line. Companies A, B, C, D, and K were detailed, and, having deployed A, C, and D as skirmishers, with B and K as supports, I joined picket lines with General Kirk and Thirty-second Indiana, as ordered. The following diagram will aid in explaining the operations of the 31st:

MAP.

A, line of battle of right wing; B, position of reserve companies of Thirty-ninth Indiana; dotted line a, General Kirk's pickets; dotted line b, picket line of Thirty-ninth Indiana, distant from the reserve one-half mile; line extends through open corn-field point H to house E; D, fence.

About 3 a.m. December 31, 1862, I received orders from General Willich to throw forward one company to patrol the woods F, in our front, and distant about 600 yards. Captain Herring, acting major, immediately sent Company B forward for that purpose.

At early daylight General Willich ordered me, in case there should be any indication that the rebels had placed a battery in our front, to move my picket line at once to the woods F, and hold it till the brigade could give me support. I went immediately to the picket line, and, learning from the patrol that no indication of the enemy had been seen, I