[CHAP. XXII.

Numbers 145. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Robert H. Barrow, Eleventh Louisiana Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS ELEVENTH LOUISIANA REGIMENT,
Corinth, Miss., April 20, 1862.

COLONEL: I have the honor of hereby submitting to your a report of the action taken by the Eleventh Regiment Louisiana Volunteers in the late engagements of the 6th and 7th instant, near the Tennessee River, as nearly as it can be done, owing to the confusion into which our regiment was thrown immediately after it was brought into action on the morning of the 6th:

We left our camp, near Corinth, Miss., on Thursday, April 3, at about 6 p.m., in accordance with orders previously received from headquarters, "to meet the enemy." Marching slowly and halting frequently in consequence of the bad state of the roads, nothing of any note occurred worthy of a place in our report until Saturday evening, April 5, when at about sunset, we were ordered to encamp for the night, and then for the first time took our position in line of battle in the First Brigade, First Division, Army of the Mississippi, about 3 miles south of the enemy's camp. The night being a pleasant one, in connection with a fine camping ground, our officers and men, who were greatly fatigued, became somewhat refreshed from the night's rest.

Here we remained until daylight, when we were ordered to forward by column of companies. The road, however, being unpropitious for moving in this order, we were then commanded to march by the flank, in which order we continued until within about 2 miles of the enemy's camp, when the command was given to form a line of battle and take our position in the brigade as assigned us the previous evening. Our position thus taken, we marched steadily forward to the scene of conflict, as indicated by the report of musketry in front, occasionally halting at short intervals for the brigade in front to push forward.

Marching in this order until within half a mile of the enemy's camp, it was evident, from the constant volley of musketry and heavy cannonading, that the engagement had become general, and particularly so on our right. At this juncture Lieutenant John Crowly, of Company F, lost his left arm (he having lost his right arm at Belmont, November 7, 1861), from the explosion of a shell fired from one of the batteries of the enemy, which was so planted or stationed on a hill as to command the whole surrounding country.

From our position it was impossible to do any effective service, but exposed at the same time to the severity of the fire from the enemy's batteries. Then it was that the command passed along our line to charge and take the battery which was firing on us at all hazards. I am pleased to state that this command was cheerfully obeyed, and with alacrity, both by men and officers, attempted to be executed; but owing to a creek, a dence thicket of undergrowth of briers and vines and a slough through which our regiment had to pass to gain the position of this battery, but four companies (the first three on our right and one one this battery, but four companies (the first three on our right and one on our extreme left, whose progress had not been so greatly impeded by the creek and underbrush) had been able to make their way through and gain the summit of a hill just opposite, and about 300 yards from that upon which the battery was planted, and between which there was still this slough. As soon as that portion of our regiment had gained this hill it was discovered that this battery, which had been so advantageously planted by the enemy, was sustained by a heavy infantry