Nolensville pike, half mile south of Nolensville, Tenn. After marching about 2 miles, the battery was ordered forward with the brigade, which was advancing in line of battle on the right of the pike, cannonading being heard directly in our front. Colonel Baldwin, brigade commander, ordered one piece forward, which fired three shots at the enemy's cavalry, which was in sight, retreating, on the opposite hill. We then advanced a short distance, and two Parrott guns were ordered in the woods to the right of the pike, where six rounds were fired at the enemy, who were apparently cavalry, drawn up in line of battle, supported by a battery planted on the left of the pike. Their artillery ceased firing, and their cavalry retreated when we advanced, but too late to properly support the brigade, which had charged through the village of Triune. The cause of delay was a brigade being destroyed, and every heavy ground bordering on each side of the creek, when we passed beyond. With a light 12-pounder we fired two shots at the enemy, retreating through a wood. The command then encamped half a mile south of Triune, where it remained, and was employed in inspecting ammunition, until the morning of December 29, when four pieces of the battery were ordered to report to General Willich, under whom they marched, without any event worthy of notice, to within 4 miles of Murfreesborough, Tenn.

At this place, at about 1 o'clock, the four pieces rejoined the brigade, when the whole command went with the brigade upon a reconnaissance 2 miles to the right of the main body of the division, from which the command returned at about 8 p.m., and went into bivouac in the woods near brigade and division headquarters. We received permission to unhitch the horses, but not to unharness, and, early on the morning of the 31st,an order was sent to us by the brigade commander to hitch, which we did without watering the horses.

At about 7.30 a.m. two light 12-pounder guns were ordered out to a position about 800 yards southeast from the camp, facing a large corn-field, the enemy appearing in a very heavy force. I was then ordered to return and get the other four guns in position as quickly as possible, which was done, placing them to the right and rear of the first pieces posted. The light 12-pounder gun in the advanced position was under command of First Lieut. H. Rankin. The brigade commander is better informed as to their actions than I am, as they were under his immediate eye. I simply noticed that they fired rapidly, and were the last troops which passed to the rear upon my left. They fired in that position 17 rounds from one piece, and 23 from the other - nearly all canister. Some of the rounds were double charges. The four guns under my immediate command commenced firing shell. We had fired about 15 rounds when a very large body of our own troops appeared to our right-oblique, retreating rapidly; it was the remains of Kirk's brigade. Colonel Dodge, of this brigade, had hardly time to inform me that a very large body of the enemy was in close pursuit, when they appeared. Three of the four guns opened upon them with canister, and checked them in front and to the right-oblique, but more appearing almost directly on our right flank (our infantry were out of sight to the rear), the order was given to leave the field. The command succeeded in getting with but of the four pieces. At these two positions there were 3 men killed and 21 wounded; also 23 horses disabled. We retreated through a dense woods, and had great difficulty in getting our carriages through.

I endeavored to go as much to the left as possible, as I noticed that our troops were less disorganized in that direction. With two pieces we made an ineffectual stand in the woods, about midway between they