Walsh, I am much indebted. They performed their duties with great gallantry, coolness, and bravery. Captain Blount was assigned to duty as inspector of the brigade. During the journey from Camp Moore he lost his horse and had been relieved from duty as inspector by the commanding general. He, however, secured a horse, and in the thickest of the fight reported himself for duty to me. I gave him from time to time several orders to execute, which he did in a very prompt and gallant manner. I see he is reported a prisoner in New Orleans. This is a mystery to me. Many acts of individual heroism came under my eye, and I shall ever feel proud that I had the honor to command the Second Brigade in the battle of Baton Rouge.

Among all of officers and men who distinguished themselves in that battle I shall mention only one by name-that is Private Seeders, of the West Feliciana Rifles, Fourth Louisiana Regiment. He took the colors from me as I fell and at the same moment received a terrible wound in the thigh.

With respect, I am, truly, your obedient servant,

H. W. ALLEN,

Colonel, Commanding Second Brigade, Second Division.

Captain BUCKNER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 41. Report of Col. Gustavus A. Breaux, Thirtieth Louisiana Infantry, commanding Second Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE,
Camp near Comite River, La., August 8, 1862.

SIR: Col. H. W. Allen, commander of the Second Brigade, [Second] Division, having fallen toward the close of the action of August 5, it becomes my duty as next in command to make the report, as far as my knowledge enables me to do so. My attention was exclusively directed to the action of the Thirtieth Louisiana Regiment, which I commanded until the fall of the colonel commanding.

At 4.30 a.m. our line was formed on the extreme left of the forces, in a point of woods adjoining open and cultivated fields; the ground was broken. We advanced in conjunction with the entire line. As we were about passing out of a little field we met the enemy, who at once opened a brisk fire on us, which we returned with good effect, since in a few minutes they fled before us. We were ordered forward. As the extreme right of the brigade was advancing on a line parallel to a fence behind which sharpshooters lay in ambush harassing our flank, the Thirtieth Louisiana was constantly called on to dislodge them, which it did by occasional fires. We soon discovered that the enemy were in considerable force behind a fence awaiting out approach at a point from which they fired on our line at an angle of about 45 deg. We faced the Thirtieth Regiment to them and soon silenced them by a well kept-up and directed fire. Meanwhile the Fourth Regiment and Boyd's battalion advanced, driving also all obstacles before them.

It became apparent that the exact location of a battery of the enemy planted in our front was not known; the fog was too chick to enable us to see well. We, however, advanced, having changed the direction of the line to the left. The fire of the enemy soon revealed its exact position,