that the enemy at Fayetteville were making preparation to move from that place, and to re-enforce General Phillips in the Indian country, I took all the effective mounted men of my command, except there companies of Colonel [J. F.] Hill's battalion (that are badly armed and with horses unshod), with two pieces of artillery, the whole amounting to 900 men, and left here at 3 o'clock on the 16th, going by what is called the Mulberry and Frog Bayou road to Fayetteville, and attacked the enemy about 2,000 strong, well armed with Springfield and Whitney rifles, no artillery, and nearly every hill dotted with rifle-pits. After a furious fight of three hours and ten minutes, I withdrew my command in good order. I found it impossible, with the arms I had, after my artillery ammunition was exhausted, to dislodge them from the house and rifle-pits with the kind of arms my command had without losing all my horses and a large number of my men, as it was impossible to get near enough to them to make our aim effective without a great sacrifice of life, much great then would have been justifiable under the circumstances.

The troops, with few exceptions, all fought well, and are now in fine spirits, ready and wiling to try the enemy again. The enemy all (both infantry and cavalry) fought well, equally as well as any Federal troops I have ever seen. Although it was though by a great many that, composed as they of disloyal citizens and deserters from our army, they would make but a feeble stand, the reverse, however, was the case, as they resisted every attack made on them, and, as fast as driven our of one house, would occupy another and deliver their fire. Whenever, however, my troops could get to them they drove them before them every time. Colonel [J. C.] Monroe made two splendid charges with his command, one on foot and the other mounted. Colonel [Lee L.] Thomson, with his regiment, and [Caleb][Dorsey, with his squadron, under Colonel Scott, made a dashing charge and drove the enemy to their pits and to the houses, where they rallied and poured in a dreadful fire with their long-range, guns. The artillery, managed by Captain [W. M.] Hughey, under my immediate command, did frightful execution in the enemy's camp, driving them out and completely scattering their cavalry for awhile. Captain Hughey was wounded in the arm by a sharpshooter at the commencement of the action, but continued in charge of his pieces, under a heavy fire from the enemy's sharpshooters, during the whole fight. His men were all taken a little over a month ago from the camp of instruction at Dardanelle, and, with one or two exceptions did well.)

Two horses were killed and 2 wounded in the battery; 1 man killed and several wounded.

Captain Hughey deserves especial mention for his bravery, skill, and energy in the management of his two pieces of artillery.

The loss is not positively known, but it will not exceed 20 killed, 30 wounded, and 20 missing. The enemy's loss in killed in fully equal to our total killed and wounded; the wounded were very great. We captured and paroled 26 prisoners, 1 lieutenant, 1 non-commissioned officer, and 24 privates also destroyed a train of 10 or 15 wagons. I could have burned a large part of the town, but every house was killed with women and children, a great number of whom were the families of officers and soldiers i our service, and I did not deem in advisable to distress them any further, as their sufferings now are very grievous under the Federal rule.

The enemy's force consist (notwithstanding all previous reports from persons living in Fayetteville to the contrary) of on cavalry regiment,