and to request him to send an order to Captain Smith to advance his battery to the river near the mill, and shell the camp and field before mentioned and at this time in the possession of the enemy, and I am happy to inform you that the order was executed in the most gallant and effective manner, and contributed not a little to the general success of the day.

Upon my arrival on the opposite side of the river I found the fragments of the Thirteenth Regiment Arkansas Volunteers, Colonel Tappan; Second Regiment Tennessee Volunteers, Colonel Walker; and Thirteenth Regiment Tennessee Volunteers, Colonel John V. Wright formed and anxious to again confront the enemy. These regiments with others had already suffered severely in the engagement of the forenoon. In a few minutes these three regiments formed in line under my direction, the Thirteenth Arkansas in front, followed by the Second and Thirteenth Tennessee and moved directly back from the river in the direction of the enemy's transports, and gunboats intending, if possible, to take them in flank. Advancing about a half mile I suddenly came upon about 50 mounted men, who were hailed and found to be Illinois cavalry, and at the same moment and immediately in front I discovered a large body of troops, the Seventh Iowa and Colonel Logan's Illinois Regiment, drawn up in line of battle. I immediately ordered my column forward and formed a line in a small ravine the Thirteenth Arkansas on the right, flanked by the Second and Thirteenth Tennessee, with some detached companies from other regiments, and at once opened upon the enemy a most terrific fire, and which they promptly returned, but under the rapid and galling fire of our columns the enemy soon wavered and were charged upon with the bayonet and completely routed, and under the continuous fire from our column in pursuit were slaughtered from that point to within a few hundred yards of their gunboats lying more than 2 miles from the position in which we engaged them. Here it was that Captain J. Welly Armstrong fell while gallantly calling to his men to follow him in the pursuit of the dismayed and retreating foe.

In this engagement we recaptured several pieces of artillery, took 40 of the enemy as prisoners, besides a large number killed and wounded. After the rout began I sent forward with the troops my adjutant-general, James D. Porter jr., and returned in the direction of Columbus to meet my own command, for which I had sent my aide-de-camp, Major F. H. McNairy, so soon as I discovered the enemy posted in front. On my arrival near the river I met Major-General Polk, and reported in person the rout of the enemy, and the successful operations of the forces under my command.

Colonel Smith in the mean time had succeeded in crossing the river with his brigade, and I immediately ordered him forward at double-quick, hoping to arrest the flying column of the enemy. On arriving at the dwelling-house used by the enemy as a hospital for the wounded General Polk came up with the head of his column and remained with it until we arrived at a point directly opposite to the gunboats of the enemy, when under his order I directed Colonel Smith to move the heads of his command to the river above the boats of the enemy, and, facing by the rear rank, throw his left below them. Seeing the boats in the act of moving off, Lieutenant-Colonel Wright moved the right wing of the One hundred and fifty-fourth to the right and immediately in front of the enemy, and finding them hurrying on board, deployed his command as skirmishers and opened a destructive fire on the enemy. The left wing of the One hundred and fifty-fourth, with Colonel Blythe's Mississippi regiment, both under Colonel Smith, charge down