Numbers 8. Reports of Major General Lovell H. Rousseau, U. S. Army, commanding First Division.

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, FOURTEENTH ARMY CORPS.

July 3, 1863.

GENERAL: I have reached the Winchester and McMinnville road, and have my division massed in open ground near it. Our troops under General Turchin skirmished with the enemy here yesterday at about 10 a.m., up to 1 p.m. Staid over night here, and moved on early this morning, having had a skirmish just below this in the afternoon. The colonel of the Fifty-first Alabama, supposed to be mortally wounded, is here. There is room for General Brannan in this opening, of which I have informed him.

Very respectfully,
LOVELL H. ROUSSEAU,

Major-General.

Major General GEORGE H. THOMAS.

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, FOURTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
On Decherd and Pelham road, July 6, 1863.

COLONEL: In accordance with circular from department headquarters, I herewith give account of the march from Murfreesborough.

On the 24th ultimo, in obedience to orders, my division was formed and ready to march from camp near Murfreesborough at 7 a.m., but was delayed some two or three hours by the train of General Reynolds, which was necessarily halted (as General Reynolds sent word to me) till he could repair a bridge partially destroyed by the enemy. I marched between 9 and 10 o'clock on the Manchester pike, and was ordered by General Thomas to encamp at Big Spring, 2 miles from the Manchester pike and 12 or 13 miles from Murfreesborough. On reaching Big Spring with the head of my column, received word from General Reynolds that he had fallen in with the enemy and needed help, and that the messenger had informed General Thomas of the request of General Reynolds for help. We heard the report of small-arms and artillery for some hours. He wanted one brigade. It had rained during the whole march, and the road from the pike to the Big Spring being very bad, I concluded to move my whole division back to the pike and move up to the support of General Reynolds, which I did. The Third Brigade (Regulars), Major Coolidge commanding, were ordered to report to General Reynolds at once. They did so. I followed with the rest and camped at night 2 1/2 or 3 miles from General Reynolds.

June 25, early in the morning, at the request of General Reynolds, sent him First Brigade, Colonel Scribner commanding, and went forward myself to the front. Second Brigade, Colonel Hambright commanding, ordered forward in the afternoon. First Brigade relieved troops of General Reynolds in Hoover's Gap. About 6 o'clock in the afternoon the enemy opened upon Scribner's brigade, with artillery, a cross-fire from four different points. The fire was very heavy and very accurate, the balls plowing up the ground all about his infantry and Loomis' battery, all in full view of the enemy, yet Scribner did not flinch, but received the fire without a tremor. The enemy was promptly replied to by the First Michigan (Lieutenant Van Pelt), Twenty-first Indiana, and two guns of the Nineteenth Indiana, and silenced.