It is proper for me to say that I was not in the last charge, having been carried off the field too much exhausted and overcome to be able to go forward.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

M. H. COFER,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Sixth Kentucky Regiment.

GEORGE C. HUBBARD,

First Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 39. Report of Col. Edward Crossland, Seventh Kentucky Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS SEVENTH KENTUCKY REGIMENT,
August 7, 1862.

LIEUTENANT: In obedience to an order from your office I return the following statement of the action of my regiment in the battle at Baton Rouge on the 5th:

The brigade was formed in an open field and ordered to march forward. My regiment crossed a lawn into a field and received a fire from the enemy's skirmishers, when we were ordered to charge. The skirmishers were routed, and the regiment halted in a pea patch and ordered to lie down. Here we received a heavy fire, wounding 3 men. We were again ordered forward and to charge, which order was executed in gallant style. Passing over the ground occupied by the enemy we saw the bodies of 2 dead and 3 wounded. Another charge brought us into a road near the enemy's camps, through which we charged, and were halted and ordered to fall back by Captain Buckner, of General Breckinridge's staff, who received the order from General Clark, which would have been done in order but for a regiment in advance of our right, who broke in wild confusion through my regiment, who caught the panic, and retired disorderly for a short distance. Aided however by the coolness of my company officers and adjutant I succeeded promptly in rallying and reforming them in front of the road.

Colonel Thompson ordered me to fall back to the road, where we opened fire on the enemy, then advancing from their camps, and kept it up briskly for an hour. The enemy advanced cautiously from their camps under cover of a grove of timber with the evident intention of turning our left flank. I saw two lines of infantry with cavalry in rear. They charged, and the Thirty-fifth Alabama Regiment opened and kept up a hot fire from our left, which broke the enemy's lines, and they retired in confusion.

Our ammunition was nearly exhausted, the wagons not having come up. General Breckinridge came up on our right, and I reported the want of ammunition to him, when he ordered me to charge the camps with my regiment and the Third Kentucky. We went through the camps, and were halted by Captain Buckner and ordered to retire, which was done in good order. Captain Buckner, by order of General Breckinridge, ordered my regiment to remain and support a section of Semmes' battery, which was posted and remained to protect those engaged in recovery of the wounded and the retreat of the stragglers.

Captain C. Wess. Jetton, with 5 men, was sent back to fire the camps. A cloud of smoke soon told that his mission of destruction had been faithfully executed. He reports the burning of large quantities of commis-