I directed the citizens to bury the rebel dead and brought my own into camp.

The hard fighting of the day was done by the One hundred and first Indiana and the One hundred and twenty-third Illinois, but I feel profoundly thankful for the prompt and gallant co-operation which every officer of the command gave me, and too much praise cannot be given to the men of the entire command for their soldierly conduct. Captain W. R. Tuttle, of the One hundred and fifth Ohio, my acting assistant adjutant-general, and Lieutenant Sanford Fortner, of the One hundred and first Indiana, my aide-de-camp, rendered me the most valuable assistance on every part of the field. Captain Blackburn, of the First Middle Tennessee Cavalry, deserves especial praise for his daring and efficient conduct during the scout and engagement. I desire also to make especial mention of Private J. H. Blackburn, Company A, First Middle Tennessee Cavalry, for the prompt and intelligent execution of my orders in bearing my dispatch from the point of attack to division headquarters, at Murfreesborough, and also of Private Edward Potter, Company E, One hundred and fifth Ohio, for the faithful and prompt management of my train of pack-mules, so placing them that not an animal was lost, and for his valuable assistance as an orderly on the field.

I have the honor to be, very truly, your obedient servant,

A. S. HALL,

Colonel, Commanding Second Brigade.

Captain ALEXANDER A. RICE,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Fifth Division.

Numbers 5. Report of Colonel Henry A. Hambright, Seventy-ninth Pennsylvania Infantry, commanding Third Brigade, First Division.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD BRIGADE,
March 22, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to report, for the information of the general commanding, that, in compliance with orders received from division headquarters, at 1 p. m. on the 20th instant, I placed my command in readiness to move immediately, provided with two days' rations and all reserve ammunition.

At 2 p. m. orders were received to report to Brigadier-General Reynolds, commanding Fifth Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, and from him I received orders to move, as rapidly as possible, to re-enforce Colonel Hall, commanding a brigade, who had been attacked at Milton, 15 miles distant, and was reported as being surrounded by the enemy and out of ammunition.

In accordance with these instructions, I moved forward with my command on the [Cainsville] pike at 2.30 p. m. Forded Stone's River at a point near the pike, which occasioned a delay of about an hour, and, pushing rapidly forward, arrived at the point designated at 8 o'clock p. m.

After reporting to Colonel Hall, and being informed that our cavalry were unable to discover any traces of an enemy, I selected a position and bivouacked my command for the night, after throwing out proper pickets and taking necessary precautions against surprise.

On the morning of the 21st, a cavalry reconnaissance was ordered.