Upon our landing at 9.30 a.m. on the Belmont side, at the point afterwards occupied by the enemy-the battle having already begun and now raging furiously, with the report of musketry gradually coming nearing the river-we found on the river bank a number of our wounded soldiers, and I immediately ordered them to be taken on board to be transported across to Columbus. Upon landing on the Columbus side, and after the wounded had been put on shore, at 11 a.m. Colonel Marks' (Eleventh Louisiana) regiment began to embark on the Charm. After they were on board we took on a quantity of ammunition and one company of Colonel Logwood's cavalry, causing some delay. We, however, succeeded in getting away from the landing at 11.30 o'clock, and crossed the river under a heavy fire from the enemy's cannon, they having at this time driven in our forces, planted their batteries on the river bank, and directed them particularly at our boat, and they were otherwise engaged in burning our tents and destroying our camp, with no one that we could perceive at the time engaging them except the batteries from the Columbus side.

Upon landing, at 12 m., on the Belmont side, and at a point about 400 yards above the position occupied by the enemy's battery-at that [time] playing on our boat-we found the landing obstructed by our disorganized forces, who endeavored to board and take possession of our boat, and at the same time crying: "Don't land!" "Don't land!" "We are whipped!" "Go back!" &c. We, however, succeeded in landing six companies of Colonel Marks' regiment, when the disorganized troops previously spoken of made a rush on our boat and forced me to give the order to back the boat from the landing, leaving my stage planks on the river bank and still having on board the remaining four companies of Colonel Marks' regiment; also Colonel Logwood's company of cavalry. At this juncture I moved up the river some 200 yards, intending to effect a landing of the remaining companies of Colonel Marks' regiment by letting them jump form the guards of the boat when she touched the bank. This I accomplished successfully, but found myself unable to land the cavalry company for want of stage planks and the repeated efforts of our disorganized troops to board the steamer.

I now concluded to recross the river to the Columbus side and allow the cavalry to embark on some other boat or borrow stage planks from some other steamer. I succeeded in doing the latter through the kindness of Captain Lodwick, of the steamer Kentucky. Upon crossing the river to Columbus, after landing Colonel Marks' regiment, the enemy's their shot. One ball, in passing through the boiler deck, tore off several splinters, one of which prostrated one of the pilots, Mr. Cayton, stunning him severely, but not otherwise injuring him. A lady close by, who had refused to go on shore, but had persisted in staying aboard to assist and relive the wounded, coolly assisted him to arise, and did not show the least evidence of fear during the entire day. No other person was hurt on our boat. In this connection I will state that the entire crew, with one exception, behaved gallantly and assisted me in managing the boat, each man attending to his peculiar duties well under all the trying circumstances of the day [and] in a very efficient manner. With the exception above mentioned every man did his duty nobly.

We now landed a short distance below the foot of the bluff, but being still an especial mark and an excellent target for the enemy's artillery, we obeyed an order from the commanding general and moved some distance higher up. Finding it impossible to select a suitable landing for the successful embarkation of the re-enforcements then in waiting,