intelligently useful and efficient, regardless of danger, viz: Colonel [Captain] W. M. Reed, assistant adjutant-general; Captain R. A. Hatcher, aide-de-camp; Captain John A. Lauderdale, formerly of the Fifth, a volunteer aide; Major L. W. Finlay, of the Fourth, and Lieutenant Paul Jones, jr., of the Thirty-third, supernumeraries by the amalgamation of their regiments with others, but who preferred to be in the field. These officers and Private Frank, C. Usher, of the First Tennessee, acting as orderly, were active and efficient, and contributed not a little to the east and facility with which I was enabled to handle the brigade.

Having received no report from Captain Stanford, and his battery having been detached from the brigade before it really went into action, it is not in my power to give an account of its services, which I learn, however, were, as usual, valuable.

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

A. P. STEWART,

Brigadier-General.

Captain JOHN INGRAM,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 202. Report of Colonel Oscar F. Strahl, Fourth Tennessee Infantry, commanding Fourth and Fifth Regiments.

JANUARY 5, 1863.

SIR; On the morning of December 29, 1862, I took command of the Fourth and Fifth Regiments Tennessee Volunteers, and was immediately ordered out to take position in line of battle. The position we occupied was on the west bank of Stone's River and immediately on the left of General Donelson's brigade, the right of which brigade rested on the Chattanooga and Nashville Railroad. We remained in this position until about 9 o'clock in the morning of the 31st, when we were ordered to advance in such a manner as to change direction gradually to the right, keeping dressed to the left. We advanced in this manner until we came to where General Withers' men had thrown up small breast-works. At this point we were halted for a short time, and had several men wounded by grape and canister from the enemy's guns. While remaining here, a regiment from General Withers' division fell back and formed immediately in my rear. We then advanced, first through a cedar thicket and then through an open field for some 400 or 500 yards, where we entered a cedar glade. All this time we were gradually changing direction to the right. In a few minutes after passing into the cedar glade we were engaged by the enemy, but drove them before us, taking quite a number of prisoners. We continued to press the enemy, fighting as we advanced, until we had driven them entirely out of the glade. The slaughter of the enemy was very great just at the edge of the glade, as they were slow to leave the timber and our men were closed upon them, and every shot did its work. Then the enemy opened a very heavy fire upon us from a battery within a few hundred yards of our lines. We soon silenced it, however, by sending out some sharpshooters, who so disabled it that the battery retired, leaving one gun and caisson behind. This was on Wednesday evening, the 31st. We remained in the position we now occupied until Saturday night, all the time exposed to the enemy's guns.