Brigade, under Colonel John Groesbeck, was composed of the Thirty-ninth Ohio, Major Noyes commanding; Forty-third Ohio, Colonel Smith commanding, and Twenty-seventh Ohio, Colonel Fuller. The Second Brigade, Colonel J. B. Plummer commanding, was composed of the Sixty-third Ohio, Colonel Sprague; Twenty-sixth Illinois, Colonel Loomis, and Eleventh Missouri, Lieutenant-Colonel Panabaker commanding. the Seventh Illinois Cavalry, under Colonel Kellogg; a detachment of the First United States Infantry, under Captain Williams; two companies of Engineer troops, volunteers, under Major Hasie, and Captain Sands' Eleventh Ohio Battery were also attached to the First Division.

The division marched from Commerce on the morning of the 28th of February, and reached Hunter's farm at midnight, the roads being almost impassable. The troops bivouacked that night in the mud and rain without a murmur. By order of General Pope, Colonel Kellogg's Seventh Illinois Cavalry was dispatched in pursuit of Jeff. Thompson and his band. After a running fight three light pieces of his artillery were captured and several prisoners taken, among them Captain James T. Hogane and Lieutenant D. B. Griswold, Engineers, C. S. Army. No official report of this affair, which was highly creditable to the Seventh Illinois Cavalry, was made to me.

Proceeding by easy stages, we reached New Madrid March 3, 1862. On the 2nd of March, Colonel J. L. Carbo Smith, Forty-third Ohio, escorted by Colonel Kellogg's Seventh Illinois Cavalry, made a daring reconnaissance, penetrating into the town of New Madrid to within three-quarters of a mile of the enemy's intrenchments. On the 3rd the First Division advanced upon the town, Kellogg's cavalry forming the advance guard and covering the flanks. Colonel Fuller's Twenty-seventh Ohio deployed as skirmishers, supported by a section of Sands' Eleventh Ohio Battery and closely followed by the whole division. The enemy's pickets were gallantly driven in by Colonel Fuller's regiment. The orders to the division were to feel the enemy, seizing any advantage which might offer. To this end the Thirty-ninth Ohio was advanced, by order of General Pope, as skirmishers on the right flank, and were pushed forward on a line with Colonel Fuller's Twenty-seventh Ohio to within 1 1\4 miles of the enemy's principal works. Colonel Smith's Forty-third Ohio, in line of battle, supported Colonel Fuller, and protected the left flank of the division, supported by Sands' battery in the center, while Colonel J. B. Plummer's brigade supported the right. The enemy withdrew to their intrenchments, but kept up an unremitting fire of solid shot and shell from five gunboats and their works, 24-pounder shot, shell from 32-pounders and 64-pounders, besides missiles from guns of smaller caliber. The troops, unable to reply, evinced a calmness and steadiness worthy of veterans.

Reconnaissances having demonstrated that an assault of the enemy's works with the bayonet must have involved an unnecessary loss of life to our troops, it was most prudently not resorted to, though the bearing of the troops was such as to give reasonable hopes of success. On the other hand, it seemed doubtful whether, if taken, the works could be held against the fire of the enemy's gunboats.

Brigadier-General Stanley arrived in camp on the evening of the 3rd. On the 4th a reorganization of division, &c, was made. General Stanley being from Ohio, the Ohio regiments passed from under my command. Having had evidence of their gallantry and coolness under fire, and feeling grateful for the cheerfulness with which both officers and men had responded to my efforts to enforce discipline and excite their ardor, I parted with them with regret. Their place, however, in the