drawn up in two lines. Stone's River runs obliquely in front of the position occupied by the division, leaving a triangular piece of ground of some hundreds of yards in breadth in front of the right, and narrowing to almost a point opposite the left.

Such was the position occupied by my division Monday night. It remained in this position Tuesday, the 30th, the skirmishers keeping up an active firing with the enemy. In this encounter of skirmishers, Lieutenant Elliott, adjutant of the Fifty-seventh Indiana, was very severely wounded.

In the afternoon I had three days' subsistence issued to the men, and near nightfall, by order, 20 additional rounds of cartridges were distributed to them. Commanders were directed to instruct their men to be exceedingly vigilant, and report promptly any indication of a movement in the front by the enemy. The artillery horses were kept attached to the pieces.

Between midnight and daylight Wednesday morning I received a message from Colonel Wagner to the effect that the enemy seemed to be moving large bodies of troops from his right to his left. I immediately dispatched the information to the headquarters of the left wing, and I doubt not it was sent thence to the commanding general, and by him distributed to the rest of the corps.

The division was roused at 5 o'clock on Wednesday morning; the men took their breakfasts, and before daylight were ready for action. Shortly after drawn I repaired to the headquarters of the left wing for orders. I met the commanding general there, and received orders from him to commence passing Stone's River, immediately in front of the division, by brigades. I rode at once to my division and directed Colonel Harker to commence the movement with his brigade, dispatching an order to General Hascall to follow Colonel Harker, and an order to Colonel Wagner to follow General Hascall. While Colonel Harker was preparing to move, I rode to the front to examine the ground. A long wooded ridge within a few hundred yards from the stream extends along the southern and eastern side of Stone's River. On the crest of this ridge the enemy appeared to be posted in force.

During the morning some firing had been heard on the right, but not to a sufficient extent, however, to indicate that the troops were seriously engaged; but the sudden and fierce roar and rattle of musketry which burst on us at this moment indicated that the enemy had attacked the right wing in heavy force, and soon the arrival of messengers, riding in hot haste, confirmed the indications. I was ordered to stop the movement of crossing the river, and to withdraw two brigades to the rear, for the purpose of re-enforcing the center and right. General Hascall's and Colonel Harker's brigades were withdrawn, and the latter, under an order from the commanding general, moved to the right and rear.

I ordered Colonel Wagner to hold his position in the wood at all hazards, as it was an important point, and, so long as it was held, not only were our left, front, and flanks secured, but the command of the road leading to the rear preserved. The vigorous attack on our right and center extended to the left, and our whole line became seriously engaged. Not only was the extreme left exposed to the attack in front, but it was much harassed by the enemy's artillery posted on the heights on the southern side of Stone's River, but the troops nobly maintained their position, and gallantly repulsed the enemy. Cox's battery was most splendidly served, and did most excellent service in repulsing this attack. A slackening of the enemy's fire at this moment in the attack on our center and left, and other indications that his forces were breaking in