I have but little to add to the above record. It speaks volumes for the men of my Regiment, and I cannot speak too highly of their conduct in the terrible conflict of Saturday, December 13. I believe every officer and every soldier was in his proper place, and did his whole duty. Their blood has been shed freely for the preservation of the Government and for the maintenance of free institutions, and they will be remembered by a grateful people.

To Lieut.-Colonel Armstrong, who had his horse shot under him, I am much indebted for valuable assistance on the field. He was cool and courageous; everywhere where duty called him encouraging the men and urging them forward. To Major Anthony, I am also indebted for valuable services in this action. He again displayed that courage and ability that characterized his conduct on other fields since the commencement of this war. Adjutant Green discharged his whole duty regardless of personal peril, and exhibited a cool courage that cannot be too highly commended.

The gallantry displayed on that fatal field by our brave volunteers, under circumstances which did not admit of hope of success, is but another proof of their unconquerable determination to suppress the Rebellion and maintain the integrity of our Union, at every sacrifice. am, Captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JACOB G. FRICK,

Colonel One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Penn. Volunteers. To H. C. RANNEY, Captain and A. A. General Tyler's Brigade.

I

The Schuylkill County Companies in the above list, are A, B, E, G, and H.

THE PART THE FORTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT TOOK IN THE

BATTLE.

After the battle, J. K. Sigfried, Colonel of the Forty-eighth, wrote us the following letter descriptive of the part the Regiment took in the fight, with a list of the casualties sustained by his command:

HEADQUARTERS FORTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT, P. V.,
Near Fredericksburg, Va., December 16, 1862.

As you have no doubt received a full account of the battle of Fredericksburg and of the evacuation of the city by our forces last night, I will confine myself chiefly to my own command in the engagement.

We bivouacked in the street on the right of the city the preceding night; towards noon on the 13th marched toward the left and to the support of the Second Brigade of same Division. At 1 o'clock P. M., received orders from General Nagle to march to the open field in the rear of the city, when my Regiment was kept in reserve (while the rest of our Brigade marched forward) until half-past 2 o'clock, when General Sturges ordered me to forward my command to assist in repelling a charge the enemy was about making on our line. We started and went at double-quick (a distance of half a mile) under a most terrific fire of shell, grape, and cannister from the enemy's batteries. Arriving at the hill (about four hundred yards from the enemy's breastworks,) I was requested by Colonel Clark, of the Twenty-first Massachusetts Volunteers, to relieve his Regiment; their ammunition was nearly expended; I did so; when we remained on the crest of the hill until our ammunition was exhausted (sixty rounds per man,) when Colonel Brown, of the Twelfth Rhode Island Volunteers, relieved us. At dusk the hill became crowded, and seeing other Regiments still coming up, Colonel Clark and myself concluded best to return to the city for ammunition, and give room for fresh troops to get under the shelter of the hill.

Too much praise cannot be given to all the soldiers (and the following officers who were in the battle, viz.: Lieut.-Colonel Pleasants, Major J. Wren, Adjutant D. D. McGinnes, Captains U. A. Bast, G. W. Gowen, Winlack, Hoskins, O. C. Bosby shell, J. A. Gilmour, John R. Porter, Isaae Brennan, and Lieutenants H. Boyer, Eveland, John Wood, Humes, Chas. Loeser, Jr., Bohannan, Fisher, James, Williams, Jackson, Pollock, A. Bowen, Schuck, Douty and Stitzer,) for their gallantry during the entire engagement. Their line was steady and unbroken while advancing under the most murderous shelling of the enemy, and their fire deliberate, well-aimed and effective.

I deeply sympathize with the families and friends of those who have fallen, but it is a source of great gratification to know that they fell while gallantly defending a just and holy cause.

The following is the list of killed, wounded and missing:

The Forty-eighth was in General James Nagle's Brigade. Annexed is a copy of the General's official report:

HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE, 2D DIVISION, OTH AIN, CORPS, Va., December 16, 1862. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my Brigade in the recent operations against the enemy:

On the morning of Friday, the 12th inst., in obedience to your order, I crossed the Rappahannock, in the vicinity of the Lacy House, with my Brigade, and took position under the shelter on the opposite side of the river. I remained in this position until 4 P. M., when I moved my troops a short distance down the first street running parallel with the river, where they bivouacked for the night. On the morning of the 13th I moved further down said street, left in front, until I came up with the

right of General Getty's troops. Here I remained until 12 o'clock, P. M., when I, by your order, advanced to the support of General Ferrero, who was already engaged; I moved by the right of regiments to the front, to pass obstacles, until I got to the rear of the town, where the regiments formed in line of battle. The Sixth New Hampshire, (Colonel Griffin,) and the Seventh Rhode Island, (Colonel Bliss,) advanced to the front on the right of the railroad, in good order under a murderous fire from the enemy's artillery. The Second Maryland, (Colonel Allard,) Twelfth Rhode Island, (Colonel Browne,) and Ninth New Hampshire, (Lieut.-Colonel Babbitt commanding,) being on the left of the railroad, were moved in order under shelter as much as possible, to the railroad cut, and from there advanced to the front.

The Forty-eight Pennsylvania, (Colonel Sigfried,) was for a time, held in reserve. At 2 o'clock P. M., the Forty-eighth was ordered to the front. The men marched forward under a galling fire, like true vete

rans.

The whole of my Brigade remained in the front and did good service, until after sixty rounds of ammunition had been expended, and until they were relieved at dusk by other troops, when by your order my command was withdrawn, in good order, to the position occupied on the previous night. The men were here supplied with ammunition, and then bivouacked for the night.

My Brigade remained in the same position until Monday evening, when I was again by your order moved to the front, with instructions to hold the city at all hazards. I placed my troops in position on the left of the railroad, and commenced to strengthen and fortify my position by throwing up entrenchments and digging rifle-pits, &c. At 111⁄2, P. M., by your order I withdrew my command across the river to our former

camps.

Too much praise cannot be given to the officers and men of my command, especially to the Sixth New Hampshire, Seventh Rhode Island, Forty-eighth Pennsylvania, and Ninth New Hampshire. It is unnecessary for me to speak of the Ninety-Sixth and Forty-eighth; they, as upon former occasions, never flinched.

The Seventh Rhode Island had never been under fire before, and much credit is due to Colonel Bliss for the able manner in which he manoeuvred his men, he having lost the assistance of his Lieut.-Colonel, Major and Adjutant, during the engagement.

The Twelfth Rhode Island, being an entire New Regiment, some little difficulty was had in getting them into position, but they behaved well and did more service than was expected from raw troops. Colonel Browne, who was the only field officer, (Major Dyer having been disabled before going into action,) is entitled to much praise for his personal conduct.

My Brigade went into action with about twenty-seven hundred men, and my total loss amounts to five hundred and twenty-two.

[Signed] JAMES NAGLE, Brigadier-General. BRIGADIER-GENERAL STURGES, Commanding 2d Division, 9th Army

Corps.

In this battle, Lieutenant Howard Edmonds, of the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry, and Captain Wilson Hartz, both of Schuylkill County, were wounded.

The One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Regiment, P. V.,—in

Company K, of which there was a number of men from Schuylkill County was also in this battle. The Company was commanded. by William Fox, of Schuylkill Haven. He was killed by a shell while crossing the Rappahannock, at Fredericksburg, in the attack on that place. The casualties in the Company among the Schuylkill County men were as follows:

THE BATTLE OF MURFREESBORO'.

On the 29th of December, 1862, the Western forces under Gencral Rosecrans, captured Murfreesboro, Tenn., after a severe battle. In the engagements attending these operations, the Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry bore a conspicuous part.

Shortly after the battle we received the following letter from Lieutenant B. Reilly and Lieutenant H. S. Thompson, of the Seventh, in reference to the engagement, and the part the Regiment bore in it. They are interesting and valuable as records of events that transpired under the eyes of the writers:

MURFREESBORO', TENN., January 7, 1863. We have just had the most exciting holidays ever passed or witnessed by us. Christmas day was quite warm; it was celebrated by the whole army in and around Nashville, but the hurried movements of Orderlics and Quartermasters told that there was a great move in contemplation. Christmas night the army received the order to be prepared to move at daylight, with three days' cooked rations in haversack, and five days' rations in bulk.

The Army of the Ohio (or Cumberland) started from Nashville at 6 A. M., December 26, in a drenching rain. The army advanced on three pikes. The right wing, under Major-General McCook, on the Franklin Pike; the centre, under Major-General Thomas, on the Nolinsville, and the left, under Major-General Crittenden, on the Murfreesboro' Pike. Our Division (First Cavalry) was divided, one-third going each road. The First Brigade, in which is the Seventh Pennsylvania, moved on the Murfreesboro Pike, in the advance. Colonel Kennett, our Division commander, (of whose staff I am a member,) moved with the First Brigade. The rain ceased at about 11 A. M.; by this time we had made eight miles