general. My line encircling the hillock, inclosing us within 5 acres of space, was entirely surrounded by the enemy, and every reachable spot was showered with shot, shell, grape, and canister. Meantime Harris was not idle; with one gun on the crest, he swung it as on a pivot, and swept them in every direction, and Lieutenant [W. P.] Stackhouse, with the other gun on the pike, swept everything within his range. Artillery was never better worked. Again and again the enemy tried to break our devoted circle, and continued the unequal contest upon me steadily from 11.30 a. m. till 2.15 p. m., when, seeing it was of no avail, he drew off his cavalry to my front, leaving but a small force on my flanks; and, desisting from the attack with small-arms, continued to play his artillery till 4.30 p. m., when he finally withdrew it also. He, however, continued to so far occupy the ground outside of my line as to prevent me from taking his slightly wounded or the arms left by him. He collected the most of them and took away all the men, except those within rifle range of my lines that were not dead or mortally wounded. The enemy left upon the field, of men and officers, 63, including 4 captains and 2 lieutenants, dead or mortally wounded; and from an interview with four surgeons, left by the enemy, I learned that the wounded carried away cannot be less than 300, among whom were many officers, including General Morgan, slightly wounded in the arm; Colonel [J. W.] Grigsby, arm broken; Lieutenant-Colonel [Thomas W.] Napier, thigh broken; Lieutenant-Colonel [R. M.] Martin, flesh-wound in the back, and many officers of lower rank. I am myself satisfied, from a personal examination of the ground, that the enemy's loss is not less than 400. To this could easily have been added a large number of prisoners if my cavalry re-enforcements had reached me in due time.

Colonel Minty, of the Fourth Michigan, commanding cavalry re-enforcements, reached me about 7 p. m., at dark, and after the enemy had wholly left. I am most credibly informed that Colonel Minty received his order to re-enforce me at about 1 p. m., and I submit to the inquiry of my superior officers why it should take Colonel Minty six hours to make the distance of 13 miles over one of the best roads in Tennessee. The gallant Colonel Hambright, with his brigade of infantry, reached me within thirty minutes after the cavalry had reported.

I have brought into camp fifty-three stand of arms, taken from the enemy, 10 prisoners, and 8 horses. The wounded and prisoners who fell into our hands represent nine regiments, including three of mounted infantry, and there were at least three regiments of the enemy held in reserve during the entire engagement, 1 mile in front. The fatal force of the enemy could not have been less than 3,500. The surgeons declined to disclose the force, and one wounded officer placed it at 4,000. Among the enemy's dead was a mulatto, killed on the advance line, fully uniformed and equipped. My loss is as follows: Killed, 1 captain and 5 enlisted men; wounded, 1 lieutenant and 41 enlisted men; prisoner, 1 enlisted man; missing, 7 enlisted men.

Of the number wounded but few are serious, and many will not need hospital treatment. The missing were all inside the lines when the engagement began. They undoubtedly ran away to the rear, and are either captured or are in the woods on the way to this camp.

The detailed reports of regimental commander are forwarded herewith, together with a plat of the route passed over and of the field of battle.*

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*Plat omitted as unimportant.

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