and adjoining Kusserow's battery; Battery K, Fourth U. S. Artillery, Lieutenant Seeley commanding, on the bluff, to the left of Waterman's battery, with his right resting on the road leading to the center bridge, and Battery H, First Ohio, Lieutenant Norton commanding, on the left of Seeley's battery.

At 6 a.m., the 11th instant, the enemy opened fire upon the engineers engaged in throwing across the upper pontoon bridge from infantry occupying the houses on the south bank of the river. In accordance with instructions previously given, Kinzie's, Graham's, Miller's, and Turnbull's batteries opened a rapid fire for a few moments; then ceased, to enable the engineers to continue their work. The enemy's fire preventing the engineers at the upper and center bridges from remaining at work, the batteries covering both bridges continued to fire at intervals until 8 a.m.

At 9 a.m. Battery I, First U. S. Artillery, Lieutenant Kirby commanding; Battery B, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Captain Hazard, and Battery G, First New York, Captain Frank, reported to me, and were placed on the bluff, to the right of the Lacy house, Graham's battery meanwhile having been moved to a position on the right of Kinzie's. The fire of the enemy having increased, all the batteries under my command opened upon the houses occupied by the rebel sharpshooters, the 12-pounder batteries using solid shot and a few shell, and the rifled batteries using percussion shell. As some of the shells from the 12-pounder guns burst short, thereby endangering our troops on the banks of the river, orders were given theses batteries to confine themselves to the use of solid shot.

At 10 a.m. ceased firing, to enable the engineers to make another attempt to finish the bridge.

Lieutenant Kinzie having reported that the stocks of two of his gun-carriages had broken, thereby rendering the guns unserviceable, I ordered him to withdraw his battery and join Miller's battery with the two serviceable guns. Battery A, Fifth U. S. Artillery, Lieutenant Gilliss commanding, having reported to me, was ordered to occupy the position vacated by Kinzie's battery.

At 11 a.m., the engineers having again been driven from the bridges, a rapid fire was opened from all the batteries of my command, which continued for about thirty minutes.

At 12.30 I received orders from you to open a rapid fire along the whole line, with the object of burning the town. I continued firing solid shot and shell till 2.30 p.m., at which time several buildings could be seen burning.

At 3 p.m. a very rapid fire, of some thirty minutes' duration, was opened to cover the crossing of the Seventh Michigan Regiment at the upper and the Eighty-ninth New York Regiment at the center bridges.

The infantry having driven the enemy from the houses they occupied, the engineers were enabled to finish the bridges, and our troops immediately commenced crossing, but were fired upon by the enemy's batteries on the hills beyond the city. I at once ordered the rifled batteries to reply, firing slowly, and to continue until the enemy's fire creased.

At 7 p.m. Lieutenant Kirby and Gilliss and Captains Frank and Hazard were ordered to report with their batteries to their division commanders.

At 10 a.m., the 12th instant, the enemy opened fire from their works upon our troops who were crossing at the upper and center bridges. I