provost-guard and provost-marshal respectively; had charge of all prisoners, patrolled the town, and took some prisoners.

During 9th continued on provost duty.

On the 10th, with a detachment of cavalry and Battery M, we made a demonstration toward Davenport, marching 10 miles through rain and returning to Ripley same evening.

Saturday, 11th, again ordered to provost duty.

Saturday morning, 12th, left Ripley with Colonel Lee's command at 3 a. m. and marched to Rienzi, arriving there at 5 p. m.

Left Rienzi on the morning of the 13th and marched to Corinth, rejoining our regiment at camp, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, in the evening, having been absent nine days.

The command marched 100 miles, performed four days' provost duty, captured a rebel flag, and took 8 prisoners. No casualties occurred.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEORGE R. FRENCH,

Captain Twenty-second Ohio Volunteers, Commanding Detachment.

Captain J. LOVELL,

Asst. Adjt. General, Second Division, Army of West Tennessee.

Numbers 56

Report of Colonel Thomas Morton, Eighty-first Ohio Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS EIGHTY-FIRST OHIO, October --, 1862.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit to you the following report of the part taken by the Eighty-first Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, U. S. Army, in the action of October 3 and 4:

My command, consisting of five companies, and numbering 3 field officers, 7 company officers, and 208 men, were posted on the left of General Oglesby's brigade. Our first position was on the rebel line of fortifications, on the left of a section of Captain Welker's battery. This position was soon charged by the enemy in great force, his lines several men deep and at least twice the length of our front. The nature of the ground in our front offered a cover to his forces until within a few yards of our line; on our left there was an unoccupied space of at leads three-quarters of a mile: on our right, and between my command and the Twelfth Illinois, a like unoccupied space of several hundred yards. Through the latter space the enemy first entered the works, when my command fell back.

My loss at this place was: Killed, 1 sergeant, 2 corporals, and 3 privates; wounded, 1 lieutenant, 1 sergeant, 3 corporals, and 16 privates; missing, 3 privates. Total, 30.

Having rallied my command, I proceeded with the brigade to the white house, where the cartridge-boxes replenished. We lay there in rear of our batteries, in the open field, exposed to a terrific fire from the enemy's artillery, until our guns took position farther to the rear. My command numbered here 3 field officers, 6 line officers, with 103 men. While under the fire of the enemy's batteries 10 or more of the enemy's batteries 10 or more of this number were taken out more or less severely wounded, yet the men held their position with a coolness worthy of veterans. When the line