relegation　to　the　harassing　and　tantalizing　duty　of　protecting　our
  depots　and　line　of　supply。
  I　was　fortunate　in　having　such　brigade　commanders；　and　no　less
  favored　in　the　regimental　and　battery　commanders。　　They　all　were　not
  only　patriots；　but　soldiers；　and　knowing　that　discipline　must　be　one
  of　the　most　potent　factors　in　bringing　to　a　successful　termination；
  the　mighty　contest　in　which　our　nation　was　struggling　for　existence；
  they　studied　and　practiced　its　methods　ceaselessly；　inspiring　with
  the　same　spirit　that　pervaded　themselves　the　loyal　hearts　of　their
  subordinate　officers　and　men。　　All　worked　unremittingly　in　the　camp
  at　Mill　Creek　in　preparing　for　the　storm；　which　now　plainly　indicated
  its　speedy　coming。　　Drills；　parades；　scouts；　foraging　expeditions；
  picket　and　guard　duty；　made　up　the　course　in　this　school　of
  instruction；　supplemented　by　frequent　changes　in　the　locations　of　the
  different　brigades；　so　that　the　division　could　have　opportunity　to
  learn　to　break　camp　quickly　and　to　move　out　promptly　on　the　march。
  Foraging　expeditions　were　particularly　beneficial　in　this　respect；
  and　when　sent　out；　though　absent　sometimes　for　days；　the　men　went
  without　tents　or　knapsacks；　equipped　with　only　one　blanket　and　their
  arms；　ammunition；　and　rations；　to　teach　them　to　shift　for　themselves
  with　slender　means　in　the　event　of　necessity。　　The　number　of
  regimental　and　headquarters　wagons　was　cut　down　to　the　lowest
  possible　figure；　and　everything　made　compact　by　turning　into　the
  supply　and　ammunition　trains　of　the　division　all　surplus
  transportation；　and　restricting　the　personal　baggage　of　officers　to
  the　fewest　effects　possible。
  My　own　staff　also　was　somewhat　reorganized　and　increased　at　Mill
  Creek；　and　though　it　had　been　perfectly　satisfactory　before；　yet；　on
  account　of　the　changes　of　troops　that　had　occurred　in　the　command；　I
  found　it　necessary　to　replace　valuable　officers　in　some　instances；
  and　secure　additional　ones　in　others。　　The　gathering　of　information
  about　the　enemy　was　also　industriously　pursued；　and　Card　and　his
  brothers　were　used　constantly　on　expeditions　within　the　Confederate
  lines；　frequently　visiting　Murfreesboro'；　Sparta；　Tullahoma；
  Shelbyville；　and　other　points。　　What　they　learned　was　reported　to
  army　headquarters；　often　orally　through　me　or　personally　communicated
  by　Card　himself；　but　much　was　forwarded　in　official　letters；
  beginning　with　November　24；　when　I　transmitted　accurate　information
  of　the　concentration　of　Bragg's　main　force　at　Tullahoma。　　Indeed；
  Card　kept　me　so　well　posted　as　to　every　movement　of　the　enemy；　not
  only　with　reference　to　the　troops　in　my　immediate　front；　but　also
  throughout　his　whole　army；　that　General　Rosecrans　placed　the　most
  unreserved　reliance　on　all　his　statements；　and　many　times　used　them
  to　check　and　correct　the　reports　brought　in　by　his　own　scouts。
  Slight　skirmishes　took　place　frequently　during　this　period；　and　now
  and　then　heavy　demonstrations　were　made　in　the　neighborhood　of
  Nolensville　by　reconnoitring　parties　from　both　armies；　but　none　of
  these　ever　grew　into　a　battle。　　These　affairs　sprung　from　the　desire
  of　each　side　to　feel　his　antagonist；　and　had　little　result　beyond
  emphasizing　the　fact　that　behind　each　line　of　pickets　lay　a　massed
  and　powerful　army　busily　preparing　for　the　inevitable　conflict　and
  eager　for　its　opening。　　So　it　wore　on　till　the　evening　of　December
  25；　1862；　then　came　the　order　to　move　forward。
  General　Rosecrans；　in　the　reorganization　of　the　army；　had　assigned
  Major…General　A。　McD。　McCook　to　command　the　right　wing；　MajorGeneral
  George　H。　Thomas　the　centre；　and　Major…General　T。　L。　Crittenden　the
  left　wing。　　McCook's　wing　was　made　up　of　three　divisions；　commanded
  in　order　of　rank　by　Brigadier…General　Jeff。　C。　Davis；　Brigadier…
  General　R。　W。　Johnson；　and　Brigadier…General　P。　H。　Sheridan。
  Although　the　corps　nomenclature　established　by　General　Buell　was
  dropped；　the　grand　divisions　into　which　he　had　organized　the　army　at
  Louisville　were　maintained；　and；　in　fact；　the　conditions　established
  then　remained　practically　unaltered；　with　the　exception　of　the
  interchange　of　some　brigades；　the　transfer　of　a　few　general　officers
  from　one　wing　or　division　to　another；　and　the　substitution　of　General
  Thomas　for　Gilbert　as　a　corps　commander。　　The　army　was　thus　compact
  and　cohesive；　undisturbed　by　discord　and　unembarrassed　by　jealousies
  of　any　moment；　and　it　may　be　said　that　under　a　commander　who；　we
  believed；　had　the　energy　and　skill　necessary　to　direct　us　to　success；
  a　national　confidence　in　our　invincibility　made　us　all　keen　for　a
  test　of　strength　with　the　Confederates。　　We　had　not　long　to　wait。
  Early　on　the　morning　of　December　26；　1862；　in　a　heavy　rain；　the　army
  marched；　the　movement　being　directed　on　Murfreesboro'；　where　the
  enemy　had　made　some　preparation　to　go　into　winter…quarters；　and　to
  hold　which　town　it　was　hoped　he　would　accept　battle。　　General　Thomas
  moved　by　the　Franklin　and　Wilson　pikes；　General　Crittenden　by　the
  Murfreesboro'　pike；　through　Lavergne；　and　General　McCook　by　the
  Nolensville　pikeDavis's　division　in　advance。　　As　McCook's　command
  neared　Nolensville；　I　received　a　message　from　Davis　informing　me　that
  the　Confederates　were　in　considerable　force；　posted　on　a　range　of
  hills　in　his　front；　and　requesting　me　to　support　him　in　an　attack　he
  was　about　to　make。　　When　the　head　of　my　column　arrived　at　Nolensville
  I　began　massing　my　troops　on　the　right　of　the　road；　and　by　the　time
  this　formation　was　nearly　completed　Davis　advanced；　but　not　meeting
  with　sufficient　resistance　to　demand　active　assistance　from　me；　he
  with　his　own　command　carried　the　hills；　capturing　one　piece　of
  artillery。　　This　position　of　the　Confederates　was　a　strong　one；
  defending　Knob's　Gap；　through　which　the　Nolensville　and　Triune　pike
  passed。　　On　the　27th　Johnson's　division；　followed　by　mine；　advanced
  to　Triune；　and　engaged　in　a　severe　skirmish　near　that　place；　but　my
  troops　were　not　called　into　action；　the　stand　made　by　the　enemy　being
  only　for　the　purpose　of　gaining　time　to　draw　in　his　outlying　troops；
  which　done；　he　retired　toward　Murfreesboro'。　　I　remained　inactive　at
  Triune　during　the　28th；　but　early　on　the　29th　moved　out　by　the　Bole
  Jack　road　to　the　support　of；　Davis　in　his　advance　to　Stewart's　Creek；
  and　encamped　at　Wilkinson's　crossroads；　from　which　point　to
  Murfreesboro'；　distant　about　six　miles；　there　was　a　good　turnpike。
  The　enemy　had　sullenly　resisted　the　progress　of　Crittenden　and　McCook
  throughout　the　preceding　three　days；　and　as　it　was　thought　probable
  that　he　might　offer　battle　at　Stewart's　Creek；　Thomas；　in　pursuance
  of　his　original　instructions　looking　to　just　such　a　contingency；　had
  now　fallen　into　the　centre　by　way　of　the　Nolensville　crossroads。
  On　the　morning　of　the　3oth　I　had　the　advance　of　McCook's　corps　on　the
  Wilkinson　pike；　Roberts's　brigade　leading。　　At　first　only　slight
  skirmishing　took　place；　but　when　we　came　within　about　three　miles　of
  Murfreesboro'　the　resistance　of　the　enemy's　pickets　grew　serious；　and
  a　little　further　on　so　strong　that　I　had　to　put　in　two　regiments　to
  push　them　back。　　I　succeeded　in　driving　them　about　half　a　mile；　when
  I　was　directed　by　McCook　to　form　line　of　battle　and　place　my
  artillery　in　position　so　that　I　could　act　in　concert　with　Davis's
  division；　which　he　wished　to　post　on　my　right　in　the　general　line　he
  desired　to　take　up。　　In　obedience　to　these　directions　I　deployed　on
  the　right　of；　and　oblique　to　the　Wilkinson　pike；　with　a　front　of　four
  regiments；　a　second　line　of　four　regiments　within　short　supporting
  distance；　and　a　reserve　of　one　brigade　in　column　of　regiments　to　the
  rear　of　my　centre。　　All　this　time　the　enemy　kept　up　a　heavy　artillery
  and　musketry　fire　on　my　skirmishers；　he　occupying；　with　his
  sharpshooters；　beyond　some　open　fields；　a　heavy　belt　of　timber　to　my
  front　and　right；　where　it　was　intended　the　left　of　Davis　should
  finally　rest。　　To　gain　this　point　Davis　was　ordered　to　swing　his
  division　into　it　in　conjunction　with　a　wheeling　movement　of　my　right
  brigade；　until　our　continuous　line　should　face　nearly　due　east。　　This
  would　give　us　possession　of　the　timber　referred　to；　and　not　only　rid
  us　of　the　annoying　fire　from　the　skirmishers　screened　by　it；　but　also
  place　us　close　in　to　what　was　now　developing　as　Bragg's　line　of
  battle。　　The　movement　was　begun　about　half…past　2；　and　was
  successfully　executed；　after　a　stubborn　resistance。　　In　this
  preliminary　affair　the　enemy　had　put　in　one　battery　of　artillery；
  which　was　silenced　in　a　little　while；　however；　by　Bush's　and
  Hescock's　guns。　　By　sundown　I　had　taken　up　my　prescribed　position；
  facing　almost　east；　my　left　（Roberts's　brigade）　resting　on　the
  Wilkinson　pike；　the　right　（Sill's　brigade）　in　the　timber　we　had　just
  gained；　and　the　reserve　brigade　（Schaefer's）　to　the　rear　of　my
  centre；　on　some　rising　ground　in　the　edge　of　a　strip　of　woods　behind
  Houghtaling's　and　Hescock's　batteries。