of the First Louisiana Cavalry that the enemy had landed in some force at Bayou Sara. Your ordered me to await their development. On Tuesday morning they were reported by the same officer as entering Jackson. At my suggestion my regiment (the First Louisiana Cavalry_ was sent out (eighty-six strong, with one piece of artillery) to meet them. A few hours after my regiment was started the enemy were reported to be skirmishing with one of my companies at Keller's Cross-Roads, within ten miles of Clinton. I asked permission to go to the front to direct the movements against the enemy. Before leaving, however, after conference with me, you had ordered Colonel gober, with his and Colonel Powers' regiment, to move directly from Woodville or its vicinity to Whittaker's Springs, a point six miles from jackson, within the angle formed by the Bayou Sara and Woodville and Jackson and Woodville roads. I reached Keller' Cross- Roads about dark and found my regiment, under Acting Major Campbell, bivouacked at that place. I then learned that the enemy, about 2,000 strong (infantry, cavalry, and one battery), were encamped one mile from Jackson at Thomspon's Creek, two miles and a half from my camp. I immediately dispatched as to their disposition and numbers, and asked you, if you could spare them, to send me re-enforcements, as I should attack the enemy at daylight. I also dispatched a courier by a circuitous route to inform Colonels Gober and Powers that I would attack the enemy at dayLight, supposing them to be at Whittaker's Springs, in accordance with your order of that day, and asking them at the same time to attack in the rear. Fearing that one courier might fail I sent three during the night. To these I received no reply. Before daylight I received one piece of artillery from you, making my force eighty-six men and two pieces of rifled cannon.

At daylight on the 5th I proceeded to make the attack on the enemy's camp. They had a strong position on the south side of Thompson's Creek, but throwing my whole force forward as skirmishers and opening briskly with my two pieces I soon succeeded in routing the enemy and driving him in considerable confusion from his camp. Five miles from the point at which I attacked the enemy's rear guard was overtaken and he again made a stand, but the nature of the ground was such that I pushed my sharpshooters up and picked off a few o his artillerymen and he again retired. Had I only thirty additional m en at this place I could easily have taken his battery, for his cavalry, after a few well-directed shots from the artillery, fled. Another feeble stand was made at Alexander's Creek, one mile from Saint Francisville, to cover their retreat to their boats. After the retirement of the enemy I was joined at the outskirts of Saint Francisville by Colonels Gober and Powers. I told Gober that I had attacked the enemy at daylight with eighty men, having seen his orders to be at Whittaker's Springs and expected help from him, and that if he had been at the point to which he was ordered we would have captured the entire party. On arriving within half a mile of Saint Francisville I ordered Colonels gober and Powers, in compliance with your two orders just received to that effect, to proceed and occupy their original position at Woodville and Homochitto. Colonel Gober then informed me that it was reported that the enemy were marching from Fort Adams in the direction of Woodville. I told him that it was your order that he resume his original position, and if he found the enemy too strong for him to call on me and I would help him out. I have never heard from Colonel Gober officially from that time to this. My men and horses being entirely worn out and in absence of orders to the contrary I camped my command (First Louisiana Cavalry