Thirty-fourth Regiment Illinois Volunteers and the Twenty-ninth Indiana were promptly deployed as skirmishers, each regiment retaining a good reserve, and thrown forward, with instructions to push on as rapidly as possible, which order was obeyed with alacrity and skill, and the other regiments of the brigade moved forward in line of battle, the Thirtieth Indiana supporting Edgarton's battery.

Owing to a dense fog, which enveloped everything, so that we could not distinguish the troops of the enemy from our own, it was deemed prudent to halt until the fog partially disappeared, when we again moved forward, with continued skirmishing on our front, until we gained an elevated position overlooking the village of Triune. Here the enemy were in plain view, drawn up in line of battle, the center of their line being in the village. Edgarton's battery opened upon them immediately with splendid effect, soon throwing them into disorder, and disabling at least one piece of their artillery, as I have good reason to believe. While in this position a very heavy rain commenced, accompanied with fog, rendering an advance immediately hazardous.

The fog disappeared again in the course of about an hour, when we again advanced; but, owing to the ground being very much softened by the rain, the men's clothes were so saturated with water that it was impossible to do so at the rate of speed desired. The enemy had destroyed a bridge across a stream that runs through the edge of the town, thus compelling the artillery to make a detour of nearly a mile to ford, and by this means gained time to collect his scattered forces and withdraw. On that night we bivouacked about 1 mile south of Triune.

During that day this brigade lost none in killed or wounded, but inflicted considerable loss upon the enemy. The officers and men engaged showed themselves to be cool, skillful, and courageous, and behaved splendidly.

We staid at the above-mentioned place all of the 28th, and on the morning of the 29th took up our march for Murfreesborough. During this day nothing of importance occurred. We bivouacked that night in an open field, without fires, and in a cold, drenching rain.

On the morning of the 30th we were ordered out to take position, preparatory to an expected attack upon the enemy. Heavy skirmishing and fighting was going on in front of us during the whole day, in which we took no active part until about 3 p.m., at about which time we arrived at the extreme right of the line of our army.

At that time the enemy had a battery of artillery stationed directly in front of this brigade, which was pouring a destructive fire into some troops on our left, belonging to Brig. Gen. J. C. Davis' division. General Kirk immediately ordered Captain Edgarton's battery to open upon it, which order was complied with, with great execution, dismounting one of the enemy's pieces, and killing quite a number of men in a very few moments, and driving him from his position.

There was no more firing, either from artillery or infantry, that evening or night. The brigade was formed in line of battle, the Thirty-fourth Illinois, Major A. P. Dysart commanding, on the extreme right; the Twenty-ninth Indiana, Lieutenant-Colonel Dunn commanding, next on the left; the Thirtieth Indiana, Col. J. B. Dodge, next, and the Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania, Lieutenant-Colonel Housum commanding, on the left; Edgarton's battery [E, First Ohio Artillery] in the rear and to the left of the Thirty-fourth Illinois, in a cedar grove, with a rather dense thicket immediately in front of the three left regiments. A strong