so closely that they were compelled to leave their horses and take to the woods. My first courier reached Clinton two hours before the enemy, and my second a half hour. With their fine horses, and my poor ones, the enemy out traveled my command, at the same time engaging me on the plank road while the main, body went round on the Brashear road, but my scout on the latter road reached Clinton with the information of their advance on that road three-quarters or half an hour before enemy.

Respectfully,

JNO. C. McKOWEN,

Captain, Commanding Scouts.

Lieutenant HUGH P. BRIDGES,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 8. Findings of a Court of Inquiry convened to examine and report upon the conduct of Brigadier General George B. Hodge.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEPT. OF ALA., MISS., AND E. LA.,

Numbers 25. Meridian, Miss., March 9 1865.

I. A court inquiry having been convened, by direction of the lieutenant-general commanding, on the application of Brigadier General George B. Hodge, to examine into and report upon the conduct of Brigadier General George B. Hodge during the raid of the enemy through Southwest Mississippi and East Louisiana in the month of November, 1864, and having made the required examination and report, the result is, by the direction of the lieutenant-general commanding, published for the information of all concerned.

II. The court having maturely considered the evidence adduced, report as the summary of facts:

1. The surprise of the camp near Clinton La., commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Ogden, embracing nearly one-half of the organized force of the district and the admission of the enemy with the military lines of the district, were occasioned by negligence of the officer in command and palpable disregard of the precautionary instructions of Brigadier-General Hodge, given fifteen or twenty days previous.

2. The surprise of Brigadier-General Hodge's headquarters at Liberty, Miss., was occasioned by Lieutenant Naul's pickets disobeying Colonel Gober's orders and leaving the Stony Point road unguarded, which enabled the enemy to pass Colonel Gober, and favored by the darkness of the night, and his want of correct information, to proceed almost unmolested on the Grensburg road toward Liberty. In addition, a second or interior line of pickets, consisting of a lieutenant and ten unarmed men of Lay's regiment, posted by Brigadier-General Hodge ambling him to move unannounced into Liberty.

3. The investigation shows a sufficient knowledge on the part of Brigadier-General Hodge of the topography of the roads of the country embraced in his district; that all necessary order had been given by him, and if these strictly obeyed, the surprise of his outposts and his headquarters could not have occurred, and the losses which followed might have been averted.