untold agricultural wealth-was signally defeated, and this region is again, comparatively, saved. In short, with our heavy losses, we yet can claim to have won for our country another decided triumph.

JAS. R. CHALMERS,

Brigadier-General, Commanding First DIVISION.

Major C. W. ANDERSON, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 47. Report of Brigadier General Abraham Buford, C. S. Army, commanding Second DIVISION.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, FORREST'S CAVALRY,
Egypt, Miss., July 22, 1864.

I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my DIVISION during the late engagement in and around Tupelo:

My DIVISION was composed of Lyon's brigade, comprising the THIRD, Seventh, Eighth, and Faulkner's Kentucky Regiments, 900 strong; Bell's brigade, comprising the Second Fifteenth, and Sixteenth, and Newsom's Tennessee Regiments, 1,300 strong, and Mabry's brigade, temporarily attached to the DIVISION, comprising the Sixth and Thirty-eighth Mississippi, Fourth MISSISSIPPI and Fourteenth Confederate Regiments, 1,000 strong; in all 3,200 effective men.

On the 7th of July I was ordered to send Bell's brigade to Ellistown. He accordingly moved at 5 o'clock the morning of the 8th for that point, and guarded the approach from Ripley via Ellistown to Tupelo.

On the morning of the 9th, by order of Major-General Forrest, I moved from Tupelo to Ellistown with the Kentucky brigade, Brigadier-General Lyon commanding. At this point I was joined by Colonel H. P. Mabry with his brigade of Mississippians, who had moved from Saltillo. Learning from scouts that the enemy were not advancing on the Ripley and Ellistown road, but on the road from Ripley via New Albany to Pontotoc, I moved my DIVISION to the latter place, marching all night, halting about daylight two miles from Pontotoc. I received during the day several orders directing me to develop the enemy's strength, not to bring on a general engagement, but keep in the enemy's front and on his flanks and gradually fall back to Okolona. I accordingly made dispositions to carry out these orders. I sent a regiment of Mabry's brigade, Colonel Isham Harrison commanding, accompanied by a staff officer, toward Plentytude, on the Plentytude and Chesterville road. I ordered Colonel Bell to send the Second Tennessee, Colonel Barteau commanding, in the direction of New Albany. I had hardly made these dispositions, and was preparing to make others, when, at 7. 30 a. m. on the 10th of July, I received an order from Major-General Forrest to get on the Chesterville road, if I could, and join the command at Okolona, and to send a squadron of 100 good men in rear of the enemy to cut off his communications, &c. I immediately detached 100 picked men, under Captain Tyler, Company A, Faulkner's (Kentucky) regiment, to proceed to rear of the enemy and carry out the instructions I had received. For the operations of this squadron I refer to the report of Captain Tyler, herewith forwarded. About 9 a. m. I was joined at Pontotoc by McCulloch's brigade, of Chalmers' DIVISION.

I left Pontotoc about 1 a. m. Sunday, 10th of July, and marched to a strong position on a creek five or six miles from the town, leaving McCulloch's brigade at Pontotoc and Barteau's regiment (Second Tennessee) on the Pontotoc and New Albany road to skirmish with the enemy and gradually fall back. During the day I received orders to report to