Numbers 5. Report of Colonel Conrad Baker, First Indiana Cavalry, commanding Fourth Brigade.

HDQRS. 4TH Brigadier, 1ST DIV., ARMY OF THE SOUTHWEST,
Helena, Ark., July 20, 1862.

SIR: The report of Lieutenant Colonel W. F. Wood, First Indiana Cavalry, dated July 15, 1862, heretofore submitted by me, having, by order of General Steele, been submitted to Colonel Hovey, Thirty-third Illinois Volunteers, commanding Second Brigade, and having been by Colonel Hovey returned to Lieutenant-Colonel Wood for correction, I now, through you, submit to General Steele the supplemental report of Lieutenant-Colonel Wood, and with it respectfully return the original report of Lieutenant-Colonel Wood, with the notes or comments of Colonel Hovey appended thereto, this being the only method, in my judgment, by which the questions arising can be presented and the record thereof preserved. I respectfully ask that the demand of Lieutenant-Colonel Wood for a court of inquiry, as made in his supplemental report, may be speedily granted, believing, as I do, that the imputation cast upon him is both unkind and unjust, and entirely inconsistent with the strong words of congratulation and approbation spoken by Colonel Hovey to Lieutenant-Colonel Wood in the presence of other officers immediately after the engagement.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

CONRAD BAKER,

Colonel, Commanding Fourth Brigade.

Captain J. W. PADDOCK, Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 6. Reports of Lieutenant Colonel William F. Wood, First Indiana Cavalry.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST INDIANA CAVALRY,
Helena, Ark., July 15, 1862.

SIR: In obedience to your order, on the 7th instant I proceeded with the Second Battalion, First Regiment Indiana Cavalry, and two steel rifled guns, to the bridges across Bayou De View, which we fortunately succeeded in saving from destruction, the rebels having built a fire at the north end ready to burn it. This we prevented by cautiously approaching their pickets, who fired upon us and fled. We returned their fire and shelled their camp, killing 3. The rest, supposed to be 500, fled in the utmost confusion.

In carrying out your order we incidentally engaged a large force of the enemy, composed of the Twelfth and Fourteenth Texas Cavalry, with several battalions of conscripts, at Round Hill, 8 miles north of Bayou De View. When within 1 mile of the place known as Round Hill we met a messenger from Colonel Hovey, who said to me that Colonel Hovey had been attacked by a large force and three companies were killed. We afterward met a squad of infantry hurrying toward the camp on Cache River, who informed us that they had "been badly used up." Colonel Hovey, Thirty-third Illinois Volunteers, with about 400 infantry and one gun, under command of Lieutenant Denneman,