the rebel batteries opened fire upon the leading ship, which was returned by the fleet with terrific and successful energy until 1 o'clock in the morning. The passage was only partially successful. The Hartford, with the Albatross, ran the gauntlet successfully. The Monongahela reached the center batteries, when she was disabled by an accident to her machinery and fell back to her former position. The Richmond was disabled by a shot though her steam-drum, and followed the Monongahela. The Mississippi, having passed the center batteries, ran aground, and, after sustaining the concentrated fire of the batteries for half an hour and removing the sick and wounded, she was fired and blown up by order of her commander, Smith. Nothing was saved from the ship but officers and crew and nothing was left to the enemy.

Admiral Farragut, with the Hartford and Albatross, was reported at Waterloo on Sunday. The Richmond, Monongahela, nd the gunboats Essex (iron-clad), Sachem, Genesee, and Kineo, with the six mortars, reached Profit's Island, 3 miles below Port Hudson.

The loss of life was chiefly sustained by the Mississippi. It is believed that the killed, wounded, and prisoners will not exceed 70. The loss on the other vessels was comparatively light, but including among the wounded the inestimable officers Commander McKinstry, of the Monogahela, who was injured by a fall from the bridge, which was shot away, and Lieutenant Cummings, of the Richmond, who has since died.

The land under my command, at the suggestion of Admiral Farragut, moved to Baton Rouge on the 7th instant, with the exception of such detachments as were necessary to hold the several positions occupied by our army on the lower river. The effective force thus concentrated at Baton Rouge was less than 17,000 effective men. The non-arrival of the fleet remaining at New Orleans for repairing machinery detained us at Baton Rouge until Friday, the 13th instant, when General Grover's division moved for Port Hudson. General Emory's division followed at daybreak on the 14th instant, and Major-General Augur's, the reserve, at the same hour. General Grover encamped near the church, at the intersection of the Bayou Sara road leading to the plains in the rear of Port Hudson and the road to Springfield Landing, where communication was established with was established with the fleet on Saturday, the 14th instant, at 2 p. m. General Emory moved a brigade on the same road at the point of intersection with the direct road to Port Hudson and the road to Ross Landing, touching the lower line of batteries, and another force was posted near Springfield Landing, to maintain connection with the river and fleet, the position being 3 miles in rear of land fortifications and on the flank of the lower rebel batteries. The object of the movements was to make a diversion during the passage of the fleet, and not to make an attack with the expectation of carrying the works. The assistance of the fleet would be indispensable in any determined attack, and the hope of the naval and land officers was that it might run the batteries with as little firing as possible. No decisive encounter with the enemy was anticipated therefrom, unless, as was hoped, they should come out of the works.

These positions were assumed at 2 p. m. on Saturday, the 14th instant. My intention was to move the batteries, with a protecting force, upon the Ross Landing road, which terminated on the bank of the river on the line of the lower batteries. This would give us a flank fire, in line with that of the Essex and Sachem and the mortars directly into the land and water fortifications. A part of General Emory's division and the whole of Grover's forces, posted near the junction of the road