and corporals, taking turns with the sponge staff, and only resting occasionally on their knees from sheer exhaustion, and frequently sponging and loading these rifles in this position.

Lieutenant B. F. Winchester and all the men of his section acted with distinguished bravery and coolness, under a long continued and concentrated fire, to which they responded until long after dark.

The casualties in rifle section were 1 man killed (Private Fortier) and 3 slightly wounded; 9 horses killed and 6 wounded.

The left or howitzer section, under Lieutenant J. R. Winchester, on the extreme right of General Mouton's line, near the east or left bank of Bayou Teche, commenced firing at 10 o'clock on the morning of the 13th of April, firing at intervals until afternoon, when its fire was more continuous and effective. The enemy having moved up nearer our line, this section was under a fire from the front and right flanks, the last from the batteries of the enemy on the west bank of the Teche. It continued firing until after nightfall, alternating from right to left bank of the bayou, often enfilading with spherical case the enemy's three or four lines of infantry and their batteries on the west bank. Here also the cannoneers, to protect themselves from the incessant fire of the Yankee sharpshooters, sponged and served the pieces kneeling.

Lieutenant Winchester and all the men of his section behaved with their accustomed and gallantry.

Lieutenant J. R. Winchester, by my order, was compelled to abandon one of his caissons, which was so damaged by shot as to be unserviceable. He succeeded in hauling it to Palfrey's Bridge, where, after destroying the cartridges, the caisson was run off the bridge and sunk, in the center of the bayou.

Casualties in left section: 2 men wounded, 1 seriously; 12 horses killed.

The center section on the 13th instant was commanded by Senior Second Lieutenant S. R. Garrett, who had reported for duty on the night of the 12th. He was assisted by Second Lieutenant Oscar Gaudet, chief of the line of caissons. The two 6-pounder bronze smooth-bore guns of this section opened at 10 a.m. on the advanced infantry of the enemy and Federal battery on their right. At 11 a.m. I ordered this section to the left of the line, between the rifle section and the redoubt on the extreme left, as I had been informed by General Mouton that the enemy was massing his infantry on our extreme left, where the Seventh Regiment Texas Cavalry, under Col. A. P. Bagby, had been for some hours skirmishing heavily with the enemy. This section remained near the extreme left for two hours, during which time they were under a very severe and continuous infantry and artillery fire in their front, and from an enfilading fire from a Federal rifled battery on the west bank of the Teche, which killed 9 and wounded 5 horses. Up to this time 3 men had been wounded. The enemy having been driven back on the left by the united efforts of this section and the command of the gallant Bagby, who was severely wounded, as soon as the harness could be taken from the dead horses the right piece was ordered, under Lieutenant Garrett, to return to its former position, on the right of the rifle section, where he fired until dusk, when a solid shot from the enemy's rifle battery on the west bank of the Teche cut the tire and felly of the right wheel of the carriage, instantly killing Acting Gunner Private Joseph Landry, who, with his hands on the elevating screw, was in the act of aiming the piece; at the same time a shower of Minie balls continued to pass over the slight earthworks. The disabled wheel was at once exchanged for the spare wheel from the caisson, and the piece continued