by General Hascall and his brigade. Ability, activity, and courage marked the conduct of the general commanding, and the brigade showed itself worthy of such a commander. I respectfully call the attention of the general commanding to the particularly handsome conduct of the troops in charging at La Vergne, in seizing the bridge at Stewart's Creek, and in repulsing the cavalry.

Most respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. L. CRITTENDEN,

Major-General, Commanding.

Colonel J. P. GARESCHE.

HEADQUARTERS LEFT WING, January 15, 1863.

COLONEL: In obedience to orders, I left camp, near Nashville, on December 26, and reached the point where the battle of Stone's River was fought just before dusk on the evening of the 29th.

The march from Nashville was accompanied by the skirmishing usual when any army moves toward any enemy posted near by and in force. The gallant and handsome things done by several portions of my command during this march have been mentioned in detail by the immediate commanders conducting the advance and leading the skirmishers. The seizure of two brigades, one by General Hascall and the other by Colonel Hazen; the gallant charge of the troops of Hascall's brigade at La Vergne, and the counter-charge and capture of 25 of the enemy by a company of the new regiment (One hundredth Illinois), when charged by the enemy's cavalry, are worthy of notice.

It was about dusk, and just at the moment when Generals Wood and Palmer had halted to gather up their troops, that I reached the head of my command. These two generals had their divisions in line of battle, General Wood on the left and General Palmer on the right, the enemy in sight, and evidently in heavier force than we had yet encountered them; it was evident they intended to dispute the passage of the river and fight a battle at or near Murfreesborough.

At this moment I received an order to occupy Murfreesborough with one division, encamping the other two outside. I immediately gave the order to advance, and the movement was commenced. Wood was ordered to occupy the place, General Palmer being ordered, at General Wood's suggestion, to keep in line with Wood's division, and advance with him until we had forced the passage of the river. At this time it was dark. General Wood had declared, when he received the order, that it was hazarding a great deal for very little to move over unknown ground in the night, instead of waiting for daylight, and that I ought to take the responsibility of disobeying the order. I thought the movement hazardous, but as the success of the whole army might depend on the prompt execution of orders by every officer, it was my duty to advance. After General Wood had issued the order to advance, and General Palmer had received his also, they both came to see me, and insisted that the order should not be carried out. I refused to rescing the order, but consented to suspend it for one hour, as General Rosecrans could be heard from in that time. During the interval the general himself came to the front and approved of what I had done.

In the mean time Colonel Harker had, after a sharp skirmish, gallantly crossed the river with his brigade and Bradley's battery, and Hascall was already in the river advancing when the other to suspend the movement was received. As soon as possible I recalled Harker, and, to my