however, with great reluctance. All were taken that came up near his company, but some, who were behind, seeing those in advance surrender, wheeled to the left behind a house and escaped. The number, including Lieutenant Seawell, Fifty-first Alabama Partisans, who was in command, taken was 24, besides 12 horses and saddles and 12 guns. A number of the prisoners, when they saw they must surrender, threw away their guns. One was wounded fatally and 2 slightly.

Company B, while skirmishing, took 1 prisoner, who is in charge. Some of the horses were taken, I understand, by some other skirmishers, into whose line they ran, and some got away. None of our men were wounded, although one or two were struck by spent balls.

Respectfully, yours,

F. A. BARTLESON,

Colonel One hundredth Illinois.

Captain E. R. KERSTETTER,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Fifteenth Brigade, Sixth Division.

HDQRS. ONE HUNDREDTH ILLINOIS VOL. INFANTRY,
On the Battle-field, near Murfreesborough, Tenn., January 5, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the One hundredth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry during December 31, 1862:

On the morning of December 31, 1862, while a portion of General Van Cleve's command were returning from the ford of the creek (which up to that time had been guarded by the One hundredth Illinois and Fifty-eighth Indiana), not carrying out their original intention of crossing, my regiment was ordered to follow, in column of companies, the Twenty-sixth Ohio, which we did, and, moving with them toward the right, we at last took our position in line of battle on the right of the Fifty-eighth Indiana and in the rear of the Twenty-sixth Ohio, amid a scene of almost indescribable confusion, other regiments moving among us, ambulances and wagons hurrying to the rear, and scattered cavalrymen and negroes, urging their horses to their utmost speed, seeking a place of safety. We moved with the brigade farther on,until we came within the range of the enemy's cannon, and were exposed for a time to a heavy cross-fire of artillery.

After remaining thus for a short time, the fire on the right becoming momentarily heavier, I moved, in pursuance of orders, across the railroad, the regiment resting at right angles with the road, the right wing on the right of the railroad, and the left wing on the left of it. I noticed at this time, and shortly before, that our troops on the right were falling back, belonging, I presume, to General McCook's corps, and I was ordered to throw my men parallel to the railroad, which I did.

The bank of the excavation being too high for a part of the regiment to fire in that position, I ordered them to get out of it and lie down on the left side of the railroad. The firing in this direction was pretty heavy, but my men were not called on to reply. I observed some troops falling back in considerable confusion. Some of them were rallied and formed in the excavation we had left, toward my right, but not in any considerable number. I am unable to say who they were. At this point a shell, which killed 5 men of an adjoining regiment, so affected my sergeant-major that he is bent to the ground with an injury that will probably affect him for life.

I had noticed about this time that the firing was drawing near on the