and myself, to cover the crossing, in accordance with directions received from you the previous day: Reynolds', Hall's, Amsden's, and Cooper's (twenty 3-inch guns) above the mill; Edgell's, Thompson's, and Richetts' (fourteen 3-inch guns) below the mill. Soon after, Ransom's battery (six light 12-pounders) was posted on the first rise between the road and the river. The enemy held the opposite bank with 400 or 500 men, one regiment, the Ninth Louisiana, in a large rifle-pit directly in front of where the head of the bridge was to rest, the others as skirmishers along the bank. Our engineers had not succeeded in throwing the bridge before daylight, as intended, and the fire of the enemy's sharpshooters was quite brisk, as well as that of the regiment in the rifle-pit.

The fog lifted about 8.30 o'clock, and the rifle-pit was slowly shelled by the batteries on the hill. A regiment coming down to relieve or re-enforce them was scattered and severely handled by our artillery fire.

At 10 o'clock, two regiments of infantry were thrown across, in boats, and the rifle-pit carried, with about 100 prisoners. During these operations, the 3-inch batteries expended 160 rounds of ammunition in nearly equal proportion of shrapnel, fuse, and percussion-shell, and Captain Ransom fired 3 rounds. The firing was good, that of Captain Cooper's battery (which held the best position for a cross-fire on the pit) particularly so. The bridges having been established and the First Division posted on the opposite bank, everything remained quiet for the rest of the day.

April 30.-At noon, Stewart's and Ransom's batteries were moved across the river and placed in position on the crest directly above the head of the bridges, so as to command the plain as far as the Bowling Green road.

About 5 p. m. the enemy opened from four 20-pounder Parrott guns, placed on the height on which they had their batteries in the engagement of this corps in December last. Their fire was first directed on the infantry of the Second and Third Divisions, massed on the flat on this side of the river. These being withdrawn, they turned their attention to the batteries on the hills, and just before dark fired a few shots at Stewart's and Ransom's batteries. Their practice was very good, injuring a number of the infantry and severely wounding ne of Lieutenant Stewart's men. So soon as our infantry were withdrawn, we opened from three batteries n the eights below the mill, firing 138 rounds. The distance was about 3,400 yards, too great for certain practice with the 3-inch guns. The elevation required was found to be 14 degrees, and time fifteen and a half seconds for a Hotchkiss fuseshell. The Schenkl percussion was found to work best at this distance.

About an hour before dark, Lieutenant-Colonel Warner moved a section of Taft's battery of 20-pounder Parrotts out on the road above Traveler's Rest, and opened on the enemy's battery. A few Whitworth shot were fired from a gun of the enemy posted below the Massaponax, doing no damage. The firing ceased at dark. After dark one section of Stewart's battery was moved up to the front of the brick house; Pratt's within our lines on the opposite bank, and before daylight Ransom's battery was withdrawn from that side and replaced by Reynolds' (six 3-inch guns). Our whole front was covered with a rifle-pit, and small earthworks thrown up in front of the guns.

May 1.-Everything continued quiet through the day, the batteries remaining in the same position, except that of Amsden's (four 3-inch guns) was moved down the river to Traveler's Rest, to replace one of the reserve batteries ordered up to Banks' Ford, and Lieutenant Blucher reported with six 20-pounder Parrott's (Twenty-ninth New York Battery), and was placed in position on the left of the other batteries on the crest