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ford on the extreme left; Captain Swallow, on his right, near the railroad; Lieutenant Stevens also near the railroad, but on the left of Captain Swallow.
The batteries of the First division between the railroad and the pike.
Captain Bradley on the left, Captain Cox on the right, and Lieutenant Estep in the centre.
The Second division batteries near the pike in reserve.
During the morning, Lieutenant Livingston was directed to cross the river (he was assigned a position by Colonel Beatty), and Captain Swallow took his place commanding the ford; Lieutenant Parsons was ordered to a position on General Rousseau's front by General Rosecrans, and Captain Cox was moved across the pike near Stokes' battery, to support the right of his division, which had moved its right to that point.
After dark, Captain Standart was ordered to relieve Stokes' battery.
No firing, except now and then a shell at the enemy's pickets, during the day.
January 2.
Early in the forenoon, the enemy opened fire first upon our left, which was not responded to, their shot and shell doing no harm.
They were opened more furiously upon the troops and batteries near the railroad and pike, several of our batteries replying and soon silencing them.
When the enemy had nearly ceased firing, Stokes' battery opened with canister upon Captain Bradley's battery and Colonel Harker's brigade, wounding several men and horses.
Captain Standart, with three pieces, Captain Bradley's and Lieutenant Estep's batteries, retired a short distance to fit up, they having received more or less injury from the enemy.
Captain Bradley fell back on account of being fired into by Captain Stokes.
He returned to his former position, after a little while, but Captain Standart and Lieutenant Estep remained in reserve.
I then ordered Lieutenant Parsons, with Batteries H and M, Fourth artillery, to a position on the ridge to the right of Captain Swallow (who was on the highest point ridge, covering the ford) and Lieutenant Osburn, Battery F, First Ohio, to a position perhaps a hundred yards to the right of Lieutenant Parsons.
During the afternoon Colonel Beatty changed the position of Lieutenant Livingston's battery to near the hospital (across the river).
About four P. M., while riding along the pike with General Crittenden, we heard heavy firing of artillery and musketry on the left.
We at once rode briskly over, and arriving upon the hill near the fords saw our infantry retiring before the enemy.
The General asked me if I could not do something to relieve Colonel Beatty with my guns--Captain Swallow had already opened with his battery.
I ordered Lieutenant Parsons to move a little forward with his guns; then rode back to bring up Lieutenant Estep with his Eighth Indiana battery; meeting Captain Morton with his brigade of pioneers, he asked for advice, and I told him to move briskly forward with his brigade, and send his battery to the crest of the hill near the batteries engaged; the Eighth Indiana battery took position to the right of Lieutenant Parsons.
Seeing that Lieutenant Osburn was in position (between Lieutenants Parsons and Estep) I rode to Lieutenant Stevens' Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania battery, and directed him to change front to fire to the left, and open fire ; and then to Captain Standart's, and directed him to move to the left with his pieces, and take position covering the ford.
I found that Captain Bradley had anticipated my wishes, and had changed front to fire to the left, and opened upon the enemy.
This battery was near the railroad.
Lieutenant Livingston's battery (which was across the river) opened upon the advancing enemy and continued to fire until he thought he could no longer maintain his position, when he crossed over, one section at a time, and opened fire again.
The firing ceased about dark.
During this terrible encounter of little more than an hour in duration, forty-three pieces of artillery belonging to the left wing, Captain Stokes' battery of six guns, and the batteries of General Negley's division, about nine guns, making a total of about fifty-eight pieces, opened fire upon the enemy.
The enemy soon retired; our troops following.
Three batteries of the left wing, besides those of General Davis, crossed the river in pursuit.
During this engagement, Lieutenant Parsons had one of his howitzers dismounted by a shot from the enemy, but it was almost immediately replaced by one captured from the enemy and brought over by the Nineteenth Illinois.
Captain Cockerell and Lieutenant Buckmar were both wounded on the thirty-first.
The former commanded Battery F, First Ohio, and the latter belonged to the Seventh Indiana battery. Major Race, First Ohio artillery, Chief of Artillery in the First division, and the several battery commanders, with their officers and men, all, with one exception, deserve most grateful mention for their coolness and bravery throughout the battle.
Lieutenant Parsons, commanding Batteries H and M, Fourth artillery, and his officers, Lieutenants Cushing and Huntington, deserve great credit for their courage under the hottest of the enemy's fire.
They were probably under closer fire and more of it than any other battery in the left wing, and perhaps in the army.
I am more than pleased with the way they behaved, as well as the brave men under them.
Captain Bradley, Sixth Ohio battery, deserves particular notice for the manner in which he handled his battery.
The one exception above referred to, is Lieutenant Richard Jervis, of the Eighth Indiana, who is represented to have acted in a very cowardly manner, by retiring a section of the battery at a critical moment without orders, or notifying his battery commander.
The following are the casualties, etc., in the several batteries: 