At 5.30 a. m. of the 14th the Fifty-third Massachusetts, Colonel Kimball commanding, entered the enemy's works, and at the same time Company D, Thirty-first Massachusetts, commanded by Captain W. I. Allen, who had deployed his company as skirmishers in the wood, entered the fort on the extreme left of the enemy's position, hey having been evacuated by the enemy during the night.

The loss in my brigade during the entire engaged was 15 killed and 57 wounded. Among the killed were the gallant Captain Gault, Thirty-eighth Massachusetts, and Lieutenants Nutting and Freer, Fifty-third Massachusetts and One hundred and fifty-sixth New York, who lost their lives while nobly battling for their country.

About 130 prisoners were captured, 150 stands of small-arms, and 30 cavalry horses, with all their equipments.

Lieutenant-Colonel Rodman, Thirty-eighth Massachusetts Volunteers, mentions a case of marked coolness and gallantry on the part of Private Patrick Smith, Company D, Thirty-eighth Massachusetts

Volunteers, who, coming suddenly upon three rebels in the wood upon the right, shot one of them an compelled the other two to surrender, and brought them both in as prisoners.

My entire command, officers and men, behaved with marked coolness and courage throughout the entire engagement, providing themselves and true men and brave soldiers. I have to speak in the highest praise of all the members of my staff, who were necessarily mounted and under fire during the entire engagement.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

O. P. GOODING,

Colonel, Commanding Third Brigade, Third Division.

Lieutenant PETER FRENCH,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, Third Division, Nineteenth Corps.

No. 20. Report of Lieutenant Col. W. S. B. Hopkins, Thirty-first Massachusetts Infantry, of engagement at Fort Bisland.

HDQRS. THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT MASSACHUSETTS VOLS.,
Near Vermillionville, La., April 18, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my command in the events of the 12th, 13th, and 14th instant:

When the army in its advance from Pattersonville on the 12th had reached the pontoon bridge which had been thrown across Bayou Teche by order of General Emory, I crossed the bridge with my battalion and one section of artillery, to report to Colonel Bryan, One hundred and seventy-fifth New York, who was moving upon the east side of the Teche, abreast with General Weitzel's advance.

With Colonel Bryan I advanced to within sight of the rebel earthworks on each side of the river. Colonel Bryan's regiment skirmished in the cane as far as a sugar-house, situated about a third of the way toward the earthworks, when a fire of shot and shells was opened from a field battery in the earthworks on our forces, which was returned by our artillery. The fire continued some three-quarters of an hour, when our forces were withdrawn into the field below, where we bivouacked