Haines' Bluff is very abrupt and cut up by numerous alleys and ravines. On the ridge behind, out of sight, is another main road, with numerous smaller roads and paths cut down to the road. Every hill-top has its telegraph station, and we could see their signal corps telegraph every movement of our boats and troops. The advantages of the position 30,000 assailants.

At the Drumgould Battery there is a 100-pounder rifle, the same that cut up the Benton and killed poor Gwin. They have many of the same guns at Vinchsburg, and we her of two at the Post of Arkansas. I doubt if Gunboats can do much against such ordnance if placed so as to have a plunging fire; but as the rivers are now navigable we should test our ability willing to abide your judgment if I should have pushed my attack further after learning that I was alone, and that the enemy was at liberty to concentrate at Vicksburg a large part of Pemberton's force from Grenada. had I delayed another day a terrible rain which fell would have swamped us and prevented my bringing off, as I did, all my guns, ammunition, and stores.

I am, with great respect, your obedient servant,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Commanding-in-Chief, Washington, D. C.

[Inclosures.]

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. RIGHT WING, 13 TH ARMY CORPS,

Numbers 31. Steamer Forest Queen, December 22, 1862.

FIRST DIVISION, General A. J. SMITH.

Des Arc-Division headquarters.

Metropolitan-Sixth Indiana Volunteers.

J. H. Dickey-Twenty-third Wisconsin Volunteers.

J. C. Snow-Sixteenth Indiana Volunteers.

Hiawatha-Ninety-sixth Ohio Volunteers.

J. S. Pringle-Sixty-seventh Indiana Volunteers.

J. W. Cheeseman-Nineteenth Kentucky Volunteers.

R. Campbell, jr.-Ninety-seventh illinois Volunteers.

Duke of Argyle-Seventy-seventh Illinois Volunteers.

City of Alton-One hundred and eighth Illinois and Forty-eighth Ohio Volunteers.

City of Louisiana-Mercantile Battery.

Iowa-One hundred and thirty-first Illinois Volunteers.

Ohio Belle-Seventeenth Ohio Battery.

Citizen-Eighty-third Ohio Volunteers.

Champion_Commissary boat.

General Anderson-Ordnance.

SECOND DIVISION, General M. L. Smith.

Chancellor-Headquarters division and Thielemann's cavalry.

Planet-One hundred and sixteenth illinois Volunteers and section of Parrott guns.

City of Memphis-Batteries A and B, {First Illinois Light Artillery, and] Eighth Missouri Volunteers.