rienced an occasional reverse, these reverses were soon repaired and the results of the day proved beyond all doubt the superiority of our troops in all the essential characteristics of the soldier.

To Acting Assistant Adjutant-General Blake, C. S. Army; Lieutenant Dixon, C. S. Army Engineers; Captain Champne, Ordnance; Lieutenant Snowden, C. S. Army Topographical Corps; Major H. W. Winslow acting aide-de-camp, all members of my staff, I feel indebted for their promptness and activity in the execution of my orders and for their support in directing the operations or the day.

In a conflict continued through so many hours and so hotly contested the list of casualties must be expected to be large. Our loss in killed was 105; wounded, 419; missing, 117. Total, 641.

The number of prisoners taken by the enemy, as shown by their list furnished us, was 106, all of whom have been returned by exchange.

Of the enemy's loss we have no means of accurate information, but from all the sources open to us, the condition of the field, the list of prisoners taken by us, the report of those returned to us, and the reports of the enemy, I am satisfied it cannot fall short of 1,500; fourteen-fifteenths of that number must have been killed, wounded and drowned.

After making a liberal exchange of the captured with the enemy 100 of their prisoners remain still in my hands. I have also a stand of colors, a fraction over 1,000 stand of arms, with knapsacks, ammunition, and other military stores.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

L. POLK,

Major-General, Commanding.

Colonel W. W. MACKALL,

Assistant Adjutant-General, C. S. Army.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. FIRST DIV., WESTERN DEP'T, Numbers 20.
Columbus, Ky., November 12, 1861

The major-general commanding, with profound acknowledgment of the overruling providence of Almighty God, congratulates the officers and soldiers under his command on the glorious victory achieved by them at Belmont, on the 7th instant. The battle began in the morning, under disadvantages which would have been discouraging to the most veteran troops, yet the obstinate resistance offered by a handful of men to an overwhelming force must long be a lesson to them, and the closing scenes of the day, in which a routed enemy was vigorously pursued and attacked in their gunboats, will ever be remembered in connection with that spirit of our people which has proclaimed in triumphant tones upon every battle-field, "We can and we will be free."

By command of Major-General Polk:

E. D. BLAKE,

Captain, C. S. Army, Act. Asst. Adjt. General

HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT,
Bowling Green, November 8, 1861.

[Major-General POLK:]

I was rejoiced this morning by news of your glorious victory. Expecting fuller dispatches from moment to moment, I delayed my con-