to the right of the Pioneers; which position we occupied without further adventure till after dark.

I cannot close this report without inviting your attention to the gallantry displayed by those under my command during this engagement. To both officers and men too much praise cannot be awarded. I would particularly notice the coolness, intrepidity,and skill of my brigade commanders, Colonels Beatty and Fyffe,and of Captain Swallow, chief of artillery. To the members of my staff, Captains E. A. Otis, assistant adjutant-general; C. H. Wood, inspector-general; William Starling, topographical engineer; Lieutenants T. F. Murdock and H. N. Williams, aides-de-camp, I owe much for the promptness, faithfulness, and gallantry with which they executed my orders and conveyed intelligence on the field. Sergt. R. B. Rhodes, of the First Ohio Cavalry, in command of my escort, conducted himself like a true soldier,and deserves honorable mention.

Individual acts of bravery in the different brigades will be brought to your notice in the reports of their respective commanders.

A slight wound, received early this day, becoming exceedingly pain full, on the following morning I was compelled to turn over the command of the division to Colonel Beatty and retire from the field.

Very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

H. P. VAN CLEVE,

Brigadier-General.

Major LYNE STARLING,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Left Wing.

Numbers 144. Reports of Colonel Samuel Beatty, Nineteenth Ohio Infantry, commanding Third Division.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, LEFT WING,
Camp near Murfreesborough, January -, 1863.

MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this division for the time embraced between January 1 and 3, inclusive:

I was called to the command of the division on the morning of January 1, by General Van Cleve's disability, from the wound received in the battle of the preceding day. At 3 a.m. on that day I received orders to cross Stone's River with my command at the upper ford, and hold the hill overlooking the river, near the ford. Accordingly,at daybreak, the Third Brigade Colonel Price commanding, crossed the river at the place indicated, throwing out skirmishers and flankers. Colonel Price was quickly followed by Colonel Fyffe's brigade (Second), the forces being formed in two lines, the right resting on the high ground near the river and east of the ford, and the left thrown forward so that the direction of the line should be nearly perpendicular to the river.

In the mean time the the First Brigade, Colonel Grider commanding,had been disposed as follows: Two regiments were formed in the hollow, near the hospital, as a reserve, the other two remaining on the other side of the river to support a battery.

The enemy's skirmishers were now discovered in a wood, distant half a mile or so from our first line, and occasional firing took place on both sides. Information of all these movements was sent to General Crittenden, who sent me word that if I needed artillery to order up a battery. The Third Wisconsin Battery, Lieutenant Livingston command-