during the hottest part of the engagement, and acted in every respect commendable as soldiers.

The list of casualties were 1 killed and 4 slightly wounded; also 8 horses killed and lost.

Respectfully submitted.

WM. B. TURNER,

Lieutenant, Commanding Smith's Battery Light Artillery.

Captain THOMAS H. MALONE,

A. A. G., Maney's Brig., Cheatham's Div., Polk's Corps, Army of Tenn.

Numbers 212. Report of Colonel A. J. Vaughan, jr., Thirteenth Tennessee Infantry, commanding Fourth Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS FOURTH BRIGADE, FIRST DIVISION,
POLK'S CORPS, ARMY OF TENNESSEE,

Camp near Shelbyville, January 9, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit an official report of the action of the Fourth Brigade, First Division, Polk' corps, Army of Tennessee, in the battle before Murfreesborough, temporarily under my command, during the engagement of December 31, 1862, and the preliminary skirmish of the day before.

The brigade consisted of the One hundred and fifty-fourth Senior Tennessee Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel M. Magevney, jr.; Thirteenth Tennessee Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel W. E. Morgan; Twelfth Tennessee Regiment, Major J. N. Wyatt; Forty-seventh Tennessee Volunteers, Captain W. M. Watkins; Ninth Texas Infantry, Colonel W. H. Young; Twenty-ninth Tennessee Volunteers, Major J. B. Johnson; Captain P. T. Allin's company of sharpshooters; Lieutenant J. R. J. Creighton, and the light battery of Captain W. L. Scott. Our line was formed, with the left resting on the Triune road, 300 yards in rear of Loomis' brigade, not far behind Smith's house. The One hundred and fifty-fourth Senior Tennessee Regiment, being detached to the support of Robertson's battery, occupied a position near the front line, with its right resting on the same road and opposite the house before named.

About 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the 30th, skirmishing, which had been going on between the pickets along the whole line, was entered into with great warmth in my front, and a battery of the enemy, which had been posted on an advantageous spot, opened upon the woods in which my command was in line, shelling it with great fury and wounding some of my officers and men, at the same time engaging Robertson's battery in an artillery duel of terrible severity. At one time this battery was threatened with an impetuous charge by the enemy, when the One hundred and fifty-fourth Senior Tennessee Regiment, in support, rushed forward, resisting with great gallantry the attempt, losing in killed and wounded several of its officers and men. After a shelling, about dark, of the camp-fires of this regiment by the enemy, the contest closed for the day, and we rested upon our arms for the night.

At daylight the next morning the battle opened, and before sunrise I received information that the front line needed immediate support, and moved my command forward. The Ninth Texas Regiment, having been for safety rested about 100 yards in rear of its position in alignment, was unable, because of that fact and the want of room between the