[CHAP. XXXII.

after a short fight, fell back to a thicket of cedars and river bluff, affording protection to the enemy's line, and here the firing was so heavy that, after a short while, seeing that they were too strong for our greatly reduced brigade, orders were given to fall back to the road, half a mile back, where we encamped for the night.

The [conduct of the] officers and men in this regiment was admirable and commendable.

The casualties of the regiment were as follows: Went into the fight with effective force of 220 men; killed and wounded, 102; missing, 10. Total, 112 killed, wounded, and missing.

I noticed that a great many guns (chiefly Enfield rifles) after a short time became so foul that the balls had to be hammered down, thereby causing slow fire.

During the three days subsequent to the Wednesday fight our position was shifted several times in the lines, and, though exposed to an almost continued fire of artillery, no casualties ensued. We were on the extreme left of the line of battle, in the front line, during the last day.

Respectfully,

J. B. JOHNSON,

Major, Commanding Twenty-ninth Tennessee Regiment.

Captain M. W. CLUSKEY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 215. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Michael Magevney, jr., One hundred and fifty-fourth Tennessee Infantry, Senior Regiment.

CAMP NEAR SHELBYVILLE, TENN.,

February 26, 1863.

SIR: I hereby submit a report of the part which my command took in the battle of Murfreesborough on December 30 and 31, 1862, and following.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, December 30, I was detailed by the major-general commanding to support Captain Robertson's battery of artillery, and late in the afternoon the same became warmly engaged with the enemy. I drew up my command in the rear of the battery, extending the left wing of the battalion, and a little forward to take advantage of a dip in the ground. The enemy's guns opened on our battery, and also their skirmishers were deployed forward, when the left wing of my command became warmly engaged. At this time the enemy came out of the woods in force, evidently intent on charging our battery. As our gunners were in a great measure disabled by the severe fire to which they were subjected, I moved forward the line in front of the guns, determined to meet them with a counter-charge, but they fell back under cover, and I occupied my former position. A few limbers or caissons were blown up, when Captain Robertson limbered to the rear, I opening the ranks to allow of his guns passing through and then retired. After dark the command was moved, by orders of Colonel Vaughan, to our place on the right of the brigade, and early on Wednesday morning we were brought into action. The command was not again detached from the brigade during the action.

I take pride in bearing testimony to the gallantry and good conduct