brought us to Opelousas. The general conduct of the brigade, as compared with the conduct of the rest of the army, has been good during these operations. But there are worthless officers and soldiers in its ranks who have disgraced it. I must speak with commendation of the conduct of the Sixth Regiment New York Volunteers since their conduct on the way to Donaldsonville. They have surprised me in their deportment and justified the value I attached to ridding this regiment at that time of certain officers and soldiers. They have fairly won back their colors. To several officers of the brigade I have been indebted for their activity, energy, and vigilance, but I must specially mention Colonel Holcomb, of the First Louisianan Volunteers, whose services have been very valuable.

I inclose a complete list of casualties in this brigade.*

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM DWIGHT, JR.,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Brigade.

P. S.-I also inclose reports from the commanding officers of the regiments in this brigade, with the exception of the Twenty-second Regiment Maine Volunteers. This regiment is on detached service, and it is impossible to get its report at present. I call the particular attention of the brigadier-general commanding the division to Colonel Holcomb's report, which is more minute than any other, any very accurate as far as Colonel Holcomb's information extended. Colonel Holcombe thinks the enemy had two pieces of artillery at the landing at Madam Porter's plantation road. The intervals of firing and the wheel tracks did not indicate this. Again, Colonel Holcomb thinks that at the engagement at Irish Bend his regiment was in the center and the Sixth New York Volunteers and Ninety-first New York Volunteers respectively on his right and left. In truth, Colonel Holcomb's regiment acted as a support to these two regiments. The Sixth and Ninety-first New York Volunteers were deployed across the whole front of Colonel Holcomb's regiment, and they did not halt until every position of the enemy was carried and held. There are other minor and insignificant inaccuracies in his report.

Very respectfully, &c.,

WILLIAM DWIGHT, JR.,

Brigadier-General.

Captain J. HIBBERT, JR., Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ADVANCE BRIGADE, Shielf's Plantation, April 27, 1863-9 p. m.

SIR: Your communication of this date has just been handed me by Lieutenant Abbott, of my staff. It would take me a long time to collect all the supplies I was directed to obtain, and, from what I hear reported from your neighborhood, I suppose I could never obtain here anything like the amount to be got in the neighborhood of Opelousas and Washington. The proper place to look for horses and cattle is on the prairie, as I have said before. These statements being taken as true, there can be no object in my remaining her longer. I can obtain nothing but what you object in my remaining here longer. I an obtain nothing but what you are getting more easily, and my position is a bad one. I shall therefore retire to-morrow morning at daybreak. The information which I have obtained to-day of the enemy's force and move-

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*Embodied in revised statement, p. 319.

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