SEPTEMBER 4-5, 1862.-Affairs at Boutte Station and Bayou des Allemands, La.

REPORTS.

No. 1.-Major General Benjamin F. Butler, U. S. Army, commanding the Department of the Gulf.

No. 2.-Col. Stephen Thomas, Eighth Vermont Infantry.

No. 1. Report of Major General Benjamin F. Butler, U. S. Army, commanding the Department of the Gulf.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, La., September 11, 1862.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that on Saturday, the 7th [Thursday, the 4th], a regiment of Texas Partisan Rangers, under the command of Major [E.] Waller, ambushed my advanced pickets (a detachment of the Eighth Vermont Volunteers) at Bayou des Allemands, 32 miles from Algiers, on the railroad, when they were coming down to Algiers for provisions, and wounded a number of them. The guerrillas then proceeded to the bayou, and by means of abuse of a flag of truce to which they induced an answer and then seized the bearers and putting them in front of their column of attack caused a surrender of the remainder before our supporting force could reach them. These supports were detained by the unfortunate accident of running upon an ox upon the track, which broke up the train, and wounded several of the troops. Still I cannot approve of the conduct of the picket in not holding out and making a contest, as they would have been immediately supported. Emboldened by this success this cavalry force made its appearance on the west bank of the river some 30 miles above the city. I immediately ordered Colonel McMillan to take a portion of the Twenty-first Indiana Regiment and Ninth Connecticut and land below them and Colonel Paine to take the Fourteenth Maine and the Fourth Wisconsin and land above them, and asked Commodore Morris to send up the Mississippi to cover the landing in case the enemy should be supported by artillery, which request was promptly complied with.

The movement was admirably executed, and resulted in hemming in, between the river and the swamp, the entire body of guerrillas.* Upon being called upon to surrender they fled from their horses into the swamp and were pursued by our men, who succeeded in capturing some 40 prisoners, including several officers, and 250 horses, with their equipments, which could not be taken into the swamp.

The enemy lost 8 killed and wounded. This guerrilla force, which has been the terror of all that portion of the country, has been thoroughly dispersed, dismounted, and disorganized.

I will endeavor, as soon as I receive re-enforcements, to organize an expedition which shall relieve the western part of Louisiana, from the presence of any force of the enemy.

I am convinced that all attempts upon New Orleans are abandoned for the present, and that the enemy await the finishing of the iron-clad

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* See September 7-8, 1862.-Expedition from Carrollton, &c.

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