in obvious view of the enemy's battle array, halted, as explained in my report, and precautionary dispositions commenced for the night, an order was received to continue the advance on Murfreesborough. The order was received just at nightfall, when darkness was beginning to shroud the ground to be passed over with obscurity. The movement was at once commenced, but was subsequently suspended by General Crittenden until further communication could be had with the commanding general of the army. Before, however, the order was suspended, Harker's brigade had crossed Stone's River under a galling fire, driven in the enemy's outposts, and seized a strong position, which it held until nearly 10 o'clock that evening.

The commanding general having approved the suspension of the order, and it not being prudent to leave the brigade in so exposed a position, it was ordered to recross the river. It performed the retrograde movement handsomely, in good order and with perfect success, though confronted by an entire division (Breckinridge's) of the enemy. This fact was learned from a prisoner, captured when the brigade first crossed the river. Bradley's (Sixth Ohio) battery accompanied the brigade in the entire movement.

I desire to repair the omission in my previous report, and request that this communication be made part of it. It will readily be perceived how the omission occurred when it is remembered that my original report was prepared without the aid of the reports of subordinate commanders, and written under the compound embarrassment of inconvenience from my wound and suffering from a quotidian intermittent fever, with which I had been afflicted for ten days previous to the battle of the 31st ultimo.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

TH. J. WOOD,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers.

Major LYNE STARLING,

Asst. Adjt. Gen., Chief of Staff, Crittenden's Corps.

No. 97. Reports of Brig. General Milo S. Hascall, U. S. Army,

commanding First Brigade and First Division, including skirmishes at La Vergne and on the Murfreesborough pike, at Stewart's Creek Bridge.

HDQRS. FIRST BRIGADE, FIRST DIVISION, LEFT WING,
Stewart's Creek, Tenn., December 28, 1862.

Yesterday, about 11 a.m., while General Wood's division was lying about three-fourths of a mile beyond La Vergne, near the Murfreesborough pike, I received notice from General Wood that General Crittenden's command (being the left wing, Fourteenth Army Corps) would again advance, General Wood's leading, and that my brigade had been directed by him to take the advance. My instructions were to advance by the Murfreesborough pike, and reach Stewart's Creek and save the bridge at that point if possible.

The enemy had been throwing shells at us at intervals all the morning from an eminence a little this side of La Vergne, wounding some of our men, so that we knew the town and the hills beyond were occupied by the enemy. Accordingly, I at once formed my brigade in order of battle in two lines, the Fifty-eighth Indiana on the right of the first line, supported by the Third Kentucky, and the Twenty-sixth Ohio,