O'Bryan, Nolan, and Aycock, and Lieutenants Dowling and Aikens, of the land forces, and by the engineers, pilots, troops, and crews of the expedition.

The commanding general takes pleasure in announcing to the officers and men of Texas, land and naval, that their heroic example has been followed successfully throughout the Confederacy. The echo of their cannon at Galveston and Sabine had not died away ere they were taken up at Charleston and reverberated in glory along the Mississippi.

His Excellency the President has addressed a letter of congratulation and thanks to the commanding general and gallant men of Texas engaged in these noble enterprises. Congress has unanimously passed a vote of thanks in acknowledgment of their services. The whole country has been electrified by the daring and skill of Texans, while the hearts of their comrades battling in the north for their homes and altars have been made to beat with pride and joy by the news of battles fought and victories won on the beloved soil of their glorious State. To the true soldier there can be no greater reward.

Much has been done, but much remains to be done. Our mortal foe is again gathering his strength for another and still another blow; but the commanding general of the Army of Texas is confident that his troops will return these blows, and will astonish still more their enemies and the world by such evidences of skill and audacity as shall make "Texan" a better word than "Spartan."

With this assurance he leaves for a short time this immediate scene of his labors to secure other points and prepare other fields of glory, confident that the officers and men of his command will use all the means in their profession as will insure the fulfillment of the highest expectations of their friends and country.

By command of Major GeneralJ. Bankhead Magruder:

STEPHEN D. YANCEY,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

JANUARY 28, 1863.-Skirmish at Indian Village, La.

Report of Col. Richard E. Holcomb, First Louisiana Infantry [Union].

HEADQUARTERS FIRST LOUISIANA VOLUNTEERS, Donaldsonville, La., January 29, 1863.

SIR: I received a dispatch from Lieutenant Perkins, commanding cavalry at Plaquemine, stating that he had a skirmish with the enemy at Indian Village, yesterday morning, and drove the enemy from his fortifications on the west bank of the Grosse Tete.

The force with Lieutenant Perkins consisted of his cavalry company, a part of Captain Williamson's cavalry company [Second Louisiana], and a boat's crew from one of the gunboats with a howitzer. They marched down to Indian Village without meeting with the enemy; but when near that place the enemy opened fire upon them from his rifle pits and temporary fortifications he had thrown up. He was not able to dislodge them at first, but crossing over the bayou in two boats sent from Plaquemine they succeeded in dislodging the enemy. It was the enemy's picket guard, with a reserve, which came up and took part in the fight, which he attacked. The main body of General Sibley's force he