. The day, Sunday, was spent in the sad duty of
collecting the dead of the brigade, who were interred at night by
moonlight and with military honors just in front of the intrenchments.

Thus ended the battle of Stone River, or Murfreesboro'; and here it may be
proper to relate a few of the many incidents occurring in and during it,
showing the spirit which pervaded the officers and men of the brigade,
ready to laugh one moment, the next to suffer, and, if need be, to die.

During the fight at noon of the 31st of Dec., the color-bearer of the 2d
Battalion of the 18th was killed by a shot in the head and fell with and
on the colors; the color-guard at once raised the flag, when the top
became entangled in a low cedar; the Adjutant of the battalion, then still
mounted, finally called Lieut. Bisbee to the aid of the color-guard and
the colors were at last free again and thrown to the breeze; it was a
moment of great anxiety to all near, for it was understood that there was
to be no losing of the colors. When the left reformed after leaving the
cedars, Major Townsend, when on the rise took the colors and rode along
the new line for all to see that and where the stand was to be made. Capt.
Douglass, of the 18th, described the rebel artillery fire in the open
field, as if a blacksmith shop full of rotten iron was being thrown at the
command. When the brigade was reformed near its battery, there was a large
pile of knapsacks back of it, and many men rested against it from time to
time; pretty soon a rebel battery commenced firing solid shot at it,
making the knapsacks fly in all directions, but doing no other harm. For
a while it was a pastime to watch the solid shot coming through the air,
and one ball was especially noticed, going apparently straight toward a
man crossing the large open field to the rear, coming from the hospital
probably; the ball seemed to strike in front of and close to the man,
ricochetted and passed over the man, who at the same time made a profound
obeisance; to all appearances the ball would have decapitated him, had the
man been erect; a shout of laughter, seemingly from all parts of the
field, at the ludicrousness of the scene, relieved the anxious feeling of
suspense. But what a closing and beginning of a year was that! A large
number of officers and men, in fact all, were without rations on the 1st
and 2d, and parched corn, horse and mule steaks were in demand and
appreciated; the double quick back