my splendid batteries, but in the action on duty on my staff) were dangerously wounded while executing my orders. Captain Jackson's horse received six balls at the time he was himself wounded. Major Henry, my assistant adjutant-general, had two horses killed under him. Captain Bethel's horse was wounded. Lieutenant Pillow, my son, had his horse killed. Lieutenant Long, one of my aides-de-camp, alone escaped untouched. Colonel Burch, my legal aide, was absent under my orders upon important business connected with this department of the service. These facts prove them to have been at the post of duty. I need not add that they rendered me important aid in my trying and responsible position. The fact of two of them being cut down and the others dismounted placed me for a large portion of the conflict in a position not a little embarrassing for want of staff officers. I must also acknowledge the very valuable assistance I received from Major Winslow, aide-de-camp, to Major-General Polk, who reported to me for duty, and who was active and efficient in bearing my orders the balance of the day, in doing which he was greatly exposed.

Small portions of the Mississippi and Tennessee cavalry, forming a portion of this army, reached me late in the conflict, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Logwood; and Lieutenant-Colonel Miller, accompanying the command, reported with a small command upon my arrival upon the bank of the river, and were promptly placed in position to meet the enemy's cavalry on the left. From this portion of the line I received no further trouble, and though no general conflict took place with the enemy, it was doubtless owing to the fact that he did not choose to accept a trial of strength at their hands.

Having spoken in words of not undeserved praise of the heroic little army that withstood for four hours three times their numbers of the picked troops of the enemy and of those brave officers and men of Generals Cheatham's and McCown's divisions, whose good fortune it was to participate in that brilliant achievement, and of the timely aid rendered from the field and fixed batteries already mentioned, I must be permitted to ascribe the glorious results, full of miraculous incidents, to the overruling providence of a merciful God, and to acknowledge thus officially and publicly my profound consciousness of His sustaining power over my own heart and resolution of purpose, and in shielding my person from the many perils with which my pathway through this dark and bloody field was beset.

That our loss should have been severe in such a conflict might be expected. That of the enemy's was more than treble ours. Of this we had the most abundant evidence in the incidents on the field, in his flight, and his helpless condition when assailed in his crowded transports, with the fire of thousands of deadly rifles. I transmit herewith a list* of our killed, wounded, and missing, numbering 632. Of this number 562 were of my own division and Tappan's regiment, which constituted the force originally engaged.

We have no means of knowing accurately the loss of the enemy, but we buried of the enemy 295. The enemy, under a flag of truce, were engaged at the same labor a large portion of the day. We have near 200 Federal prisoners wounded, and the enemy had 7 ambulances (which we captured) actually engaged in taking their wounded from their surgical headquarters to their boats while the action was progressing. We have the most unquestionable information from persons who were in Cairo when the Federal fleet returned, who state that the enemy were a day and a half removing and burying their dead and wounded

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*Not found.

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