quarters. With the assistance of this relief and the original garrison the battery was manfully served until darkness had rendered further firing unadvisable.

When darkness came the battery was almost a wreck; the parapet torn in many places, one gun dismounted, another badly injured, and all working exceedingly hard; our men were exhausted.

During the action one lieutenant (Clark), of Captain Rucker's company, was killed by a shot passing through the parapet. Five men from the same company were wounded, but none of them seriously.

The detachment from my regiment acted as gallantly as men could act. Lieutenants Owens and Sanford I refer to especially as gallant and efficient.

I cannot speak in terms of too great praise concerning the whole of the artillery force engaged at Battery Numbers 1 on that day; they stood unmoved for eight hours in a terrific fire from at least twenty rifled guns and four 13-inch mortars, all at almost point-blank range.

The damage since reported by the enemy himself shows with what efficiency the battery was served.

I refer with especial emphasis to the gallant conduct of Captain Rucker during the whole action.

I am, sir, most respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. G. W. STEEDMAN,

Colonel First Regiment Alabama Volunteers.

Captain HUGHES.

Numbers 40. Report of Lieutenant Colonel W. D. S. Cook, Twelfth Arkansas Infantry.

MEMPHIS, TENN., April 13, 1862.

Having to-day arrived in this city from Island Numbers 10, all the field and general officers recently at that point, except myself, having fallen into the hands of the enemy, I deem it my duty to make a brief statement of the manner in which the place was lost to us.

I had for about two weeks, with my regiment, been stationed in Madrid Bend, on the Kentucky shore, to guard it against the landing of troops and protect our batteries there. We were here engaged day and night in mounting guns and digging rifle pits, under the fire constantly kept up from the batteries of the enemy on the opposite shore. Three several regiments, commanded by Colonels Smith, Clark, and Henderson, were assigned to share the labors and dangers of the position.

On the evening of the 4th instant I was ordered by General Mackall to move with my command, without delay, to Island Numbers 10. We arrived at night, in the midst of a severe storm, during which, as we could see by the constant flashes of lightning, one of the enemy's large gunboats passed our batteries. Guns were fired from nearly all of them, but, owing to the intense darkness intervening the lightning, could not be so pointed as to disable her.

On the morning of the 6th I was ordered to relieve Colonel Brown's Tennessee regiment, then performing guard duty on the island, being assured that I should be in turn relieved the following morning.

During the day and the early part of the night we placed and mounted a gun on the north side of the island. In the after part of the night it