of the enemy not lasting fifteen minutes under the concentrated fire of our batteries.

No further opposition was met with by my division until we reached Fourche Bayou, 5 miles from Little Rock. Here we found the enemy, consisting of Marmaduke's cavalry, dismounted, and Tappan's brigade of infantry, with two batteries, strongly posted.

A sharp fight of Glover's brigade on one road and Merrill's on another, leading into the main one, during which the Second Brigade lost two howitzers, drove the enemy from this position toward the city. Every advantageous foot of ground from this point onward was warmly contested by them, my cavalry dismounting and taking it afoot in the timber and corn-fields. I had previously sent an officer of my escort, Lieutenant Armstrong, with a guidon, to follow along the bank of the river to mark the progress of my column to General Steele. The fire of his batteries from the opposite bank, progressively, was of infinite service to us.

My advance was hare somewhat slow, from the fact that the enemy,

finding themselves threatened in rear, evacuated their works in front of General Steele, and I did not know at what moment their whole force might be thrown upon me. I received a message from General Steele in such event to withdraw my horses under the bluff bank of the river on the bar, and his batteries would protect my flanks. Finding, how ever, that the opposition of the enemy was not stubborn enough to warrant the belief that they were all in front of me, I ordered a vigorous advance of Glover's brigade, and when they became exhausted within 2 miles of the city, threw Ritter's brigade and Stange's howitzers, supported by two squadrons of the First Iowa Cavalry, under the gallant Captain Jenks, into the city and on the heels of the enemy, saber in hand. At 7 p. m. the capital of Arkansas was formally surrendered by the acting civil authorities, and the United States arsenal, uninjured, with what stores remained in it, was repossessed.

Later in the evening, General Steele, whose forces had entered the works on the opposite side of the river, came over, the enemy not being able to entirely destroy their bridge of boats.

A column was organized under Colonels Merrill and Clayton to pursue vigorously the next morning.

My loss does not exceed, as far as known, 60 killed and wounded.

That of the enemy is not known. Among their killed is Colonel [S.] Corley, of Dobbin's former regiment.

My whole staff-Lieutenant-Colonel Caldwell, Captains Hadley and Gerster, Lieutenants Montgomery and McGunnegle, Gray and Sprague, and Surgeon Smith, Quartermaster Johnston, and Captain Thompson, commissary of subsistence-served me faithfully throughout the day.

The brigade commanders, especially Colonel Glover, Second Brigade, deserve honorable mention. Colonel Glover deserve his promotion as a general officer. Lieutenant-Colonel Caldwell, whose untiring devotion and energy never flag during the night nor day, deserves, for his gallantry and varied accomplishments as a cavalry officer, promotion to the rank of a general officer. Beyond these, I must refer to the reports of brigade commanders, herewith inclosed, for the many cases of individual good judgment and gallantry displayed.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

J. W. DAVIDSON,

Brigadier-General.

Colonel F. H. MANTER, Chief of Staff.