close at their heels. I ordered them to right-about, which they did handsomely, not a man flinching or wavering in the least. They immediately opened a fire upon the enemy, which soon made them leave for the woods.

I soon heard firing in my rear, and sent Captain Pritchard, with his company, back to find out the cause. As I instantly expected an attack from that quarter, I called Company B in and placed them on the bridge. They again attempted to drive us from the bridge, but our boys were too much for them, and again drove them back under cover of the woods. Lieutenant Leach now came in which Company H; he had run on the party in our rear, and with 20 men drove them to the woods, and joined my command. The artillery soon came up, and my trouble was over.

The officers and men of these four companies are deserving of great praise. With 50 men we charged and drove for 2 1/2 miles 200 of the First Alabama Cavalry, and held the bridge for one-half hour against the whole regiment. The prisoners we took admit that their regiment was all there, and another regiment in Wheeler's brigade was 2 miles in the rear, on Stone's River.

I lost 3 men taken prisoners, between the infantry and my command, and had 1 slightly wounded. We took from them 9 prisoners, wounded 1 lieutenant and 3 privates, and killed 1 lieutenant and 1 private. We also took 4 horses; two of them the infantry took possession of. We remained on the ground over night, and were relieved by the Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, when I immediately rejoined my regiment, all right, and perfectly satisfied with my trip.

I am, colonel, your most obedient servant,

FRANK W. MIX,

Captain, Comdg. Detachment Fourth Michigan Cavalry.

Lieutenant Colonel W. H. DICKINSON,

Commanding Fourth Michigan Cavalry.

Numbers 173. Report of Lieutenant Lansingh B. Eldridge, Fourth Michigan Cavalry,

of operations between Nashville and La Vergne, January 1-3.

JANUARY 7, 1863.

SIR: On the 1st day of January, instant, I was ordered by Captain Henion to take 20 men of Company K, Fourth Michigan Cavalry, and proceed toward Nashville as an advance guard of the train. At La Vergne the train was attacked, and the Second Tennessee Cavalry formed in line of battle, and I prepared to join them; but at the discharge of the enemy's second gun the Tennessee cavalry fled, and I, with my men, remained alone to protect the train. I left the pike and went to the right and passed around on to the pike again, and proceeded with the advance of the train to Nashville, while the enemy burned a portion of the rear of the train.

On the 3rd, I left Nashville to join my regiment, and at the asylum the train was attacked, and I was ordered up and proceeded at a double-quick, and found that fighting was going on on both sides of the road, and, seeing we were the weakest on the left, I formed on that side, where a portion of the Second Tennessee Cavalry was engaging the enemy, but as we entered the field they broke and fled, and I dismounted