No. 51.

Report of Colonel Henry C. Dunlap, Third Kentucky Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD KENTUCKY INFANTRY, Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 27, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to submit through Colonel Opdycke, commanding First Demi-Brigade of the Third Brigade, Second Division, Fourth Army Corps, the following report of the operations of my regiment since Monday morning, the 23rd instant, when,in obedience to orders, I took charge of the picket line of our brigade front, with 10 officers and 190 men of my regiment, and a detail from the

Sixty-fifth Ohio:

About 1 p.m. Major Brennan reported to me with the remnant of the regiment which had been left in camp, the advance of the division upon our left being engaged, and the enemy in our front being upon the qui vive, I was ordered by Colonel Harker to strengthen my picket line to the extent of seven companies, holding three in reserve.

At twilight I was notified by Colonel Harker that a general advance of the lines would be made at once, and that the officer of the day would designate the point at which the right of my lines would rest, but I saw no officer to give the information, and conformed the advance of our lines to the movements of the brigade upon our left. The advance was conducted with promptness by Major Brennan, and halted 200 yards beyond the old line, near the crest of a hill within 50 paces of the rebel outposts.

Upon my extreme left Captain Barnett, Company B, captured without the fire of a gun, 2 sentinels; just at this juncture 2 rebel lieutenants came up with an additional sentinel, and were also quietly captured and sent to the rear by Captain Barnett.

Having placed my reserve near the new line, I discovered my right unprotected, there being a gap of 200 yards. I found on my right and rear the Eighty-eighth Illinois, and urged upon the commander the importance of occupying said space with promptness. He advanced and took the position upon the prolongation of my new line. Having procured intrenching tools, at 11 p.m. my sentinels dug rifle-pits within a stone's throw of the rebel pickets, and at dawn of day were secure from musket-shots, but the line upon my right had not protected themselves likewise, and to my surprise the line of sentinels on my right fell back before sunrise and left in unguarded. I at once deployed my reserve and held the whole regiment upon sentinel duty until 8 a.m. of the 24th, when I was relieved by the One hundred and twenty-fifth Ohio, and was conducted to the left, in the new position of the brigade on the second line, in rear of and supporting the Sixty-fifth Ohio, which occupied the new line of rifle-pits on the extreme left of the brigade, where we rested until about noon of the 25th, when I was ordered by Colonel Opdycke to advance to the ditch, as the

Sixty-fifth Ohio had been deployed as skirmishers, preparatory to the general movement.

About 2 p.m., under command of Colonel Opdycke, I moved the regiment forward, my position being in the front line of battle and on the extreme left of our brigade. After advancing about 600 yards we were halted, and the five regiments of Colonel Opdycke's command were placed in their position upon the general line with the usual coolness and dispatch of this gallant officer. During the