Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Now, if Hazen holds his place, the disaster may be stopped. Down upon Palmer's division came the rebels like an avalanche. Cruft, in the wood to the right of the pike, is overpowered, and falls back, leaving hundreds on the field, and exposing the right flank of Hazen's brigade. The Forty-first Ohio, in Hazen's first line, has expended all its ammunition, (no more at hand,) and been relieved by the Ninth Indiana, whose supply is also getting small. The order is to fix bayonets and give them steel if they are not checked, and the men obey with a cheer. Fortunately, ammunition comes; the Forty-first is supplied, and, with the Twenty-fourth Indiana volunteers and part of the Thirty-sixth Indiana, of Col. Grose's brigade, which have been hurried to Hazen, is formed to protect the exposed right flank. These regiments stood as firm as rock, delivering their fire with terrible effect. Parsons's regular battery pours death into the rebels in the wood just vacated by Cruft; and the Ninth Indiana, in the old position on the left of the line (now the left of the army) has perceptibly thinned their ranks during the advance over the half-mile of open field. But one rebel regiment braved that fire, after coming within three hundred yards, and that, with every mounted officer and half its men shot, threw itself flat upon the ground within one hundred and fifty yards of our line, unable to advance and not daring to retreat in line. So this point was hold, and the army, re-forming, held the rebels at bay until they desisted from the attack, though they still occupied favorable covers within range, and continued a galling fire upon Hazen's brigade. To avoid this Col. Hazen swung the right of his line to the rear, occupying the line of the railroad embankment. At one o'clock P. M. the enemy made a third attempt to gain this point. Long double lines of infantry, enough to overwhelm the thinned ranks of the Federal brigade, came gallantly over the crest beyond the burnt house, and advanced confidently to the charge. Col. Hazen held the fire of his men until the rebels were in range, when it was poured upon them thick as hail. A number of our batteries were also in position in rear of Hazen's line, and their fire was too severe for rebel endurance. Unable to take the point, they withdrew their infantry, and from batteries to the right, left and front maintained a murderous fire for nearly two hours. The One Hundred and Tenth Illinois suffered severely from this artillery-fire, but not a regiment wavered.

Again at four o'clock the rebels attempted to force this position. Their heavy lines, as they came in sight, covered our front and extended to our right until hid from view by intervening woods. Col. Hazen braced up his weakened line as well as possible, placed in position a regiment sent him by Gen. Rosecrans, and waited the attack. Reserving the fire until the enemy were in close range, the first volley from our troops dispersed the advancing line of rebels in the front. No more advances of infantry were made, though the enemy kept up an annoying artillery-fire till nearly dark. Col. Hazen's brigade lay down that night upon the ground it had so steadfastly held — the only brigade in the army that was not driven from its position.

The honor had been dearly won. Lieut.-Col. Cotton and Capt. Todd, of the Sixth Kentucky; Lieut. Hart, of the Forty-first Ohio; Lieutenant Kesler, of the Ninth Indiana, and Lieut. Payne, of the One Hundred and Tenth Illinois, were killed, and eighteen officers of the brigade were wounded more or less severely. Col. Hazen lost his horse, shot under him, and received a glancing ball upon his own shoulder. Three of his staff were wounded, and Captain Cockerill, who had so bravely and efficiently served his battery, received a severe wound upon the foot by a solid shot. Of the gallant rank and file of the brigade, the men who never quailed when the rebels, six to one, came pouring down upon them thick as hail--three hundred and fifty-one had fallen on the field, a third nearly of their whole number. At daylight of January first the brigade fell back to the new position taken by the army. On the second, when Hardee's corps made the desperate attempt to turn our left flank, which had been thrown across Stone River, Colonel Hazen was ordered across to support Col. Grose. The latter had checked the furious rebel onslaught, which had borne before it Van Cleve's division, and when Col. Hazen arrived on the field the enemy was retreating. Hastily posting three regiments as a reserve, Colonel Hazen, with the Forty-first Ohio, and part of Colonel Grose's men, advanced rapidly in pursuit. Coming within about three hundred yards of a rebel battery, which was throwing shell with great rapidity, the Forty-first was ordered to give it one volley. The battery fired not another shot, but fled, leaving three caissons, one piece, their captain, and several men and horses on the ground as witnesses of the effects of that volley.

Since leaving Nashville with one thousand three hundred and eighty-five men, the losses of the brigade have been four hundred and thirty-two officers and men.

General Kirk's report.