December 28,29, and 30, attacked the enemy's works; failed to carry the position.

January 2, re-embarked and proceeded to the Post of Arkansas, Major General John A. McClernand in command.

January 10, disembarked and drove the enemy within his works. Next day attacked him within his lines.

January 11, in co-operation with the Thirteenth Army Corps and the gunboat fleet commanded by Admiral Porter, forced him to an unconditional surrender. After dispatching to the North the prisoners of war (4,791) and destroying the works of defense this corps, with the Thirteenth, rendezvoused at Napoleon, Ark., January 16. Left Napoleon January 19, and Now, January 21, and 12 m., are afloat, approaching Milliken's Bend, La. The regiments and detached companies composing this corps (the Fifteenth) formed a part of the right wing of General Grant's army, under the immediate command of Major General W. T. Sherman, which, on January 3, was made the Army of the Mississippi by Major-General McClernand, who assumed command on that day at Milliken's Bend, and was divided into the Thirteenth and Fifteenth Army Corps by General Orders, Numbers 210, Adjutant-General's Office, Washington, received January 12 at the Post of Arkansas. The garrison at Memphis, commanded by Brigadier General James C. Veatch, is comprised in the Fifteenth Corps, which, as there is rarely any communication, reports directly to General Grant.

January 19, left Napoleon [for Young's Point].

Numbers 27.

Report of Brigadier General Frank P. Blair, U. S. Army, commanding First Brigade, First Division.

HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, FIRST DIV., 15TH ARMY CORPS,
January 13, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report the part taken by my brigade in the operations which resulted in the capture of the old Post of Arkansas on the 11th instant:

On the morning of January 10 I received orders from General Steele to disembark my brigade at the landing on the Arkansas River a few miles below the post. General Hovey's brigade (the Second) took the advance, the brigade of General Thayer followed, and my brigade brought up the rear of the division. After marching a short distance in this order and penetrating through a slough or swamp I received orders from General Steele to countermarch and form the brigade on a plane near the river. About dark I received orders to advance by a road to the left along the bank of the river. This road was so much encumbered by troops that it was not possible to make much progress, and about midnight I ordered the brigade to bivouac for the night.

At 5 o'clock in the morning I received orders to push on and close up with General Thayer's brigade, which I succeeded in doing about an hour after daylight at the barracks which the enemy had just abandoned on the Little Rock road and immediately in front of the works which constitute the Post of Arkansas. After some delay the gun-boats opened fire upon the post, which was followed by a general bombardment of the enemy's works by our artillery. At about 1 o'clock General Hovey's brigade (the Second) was ordered to advance against