off the piece. Holcomb's battery having whipped the enemy in front, the several corps took up their positions assigned them for the night on the field from which they had driven the enemy.

The following is the amount and character of ammunition expended by the three sections of artillery attached to my brigade: 45 rounds solid shot, 22 rounds spherical case, 58 rounds shell, 8 rounds canister.

It would be useless to attempt to bestow any special compliment on any individual of my immediate command for their conduct during the engagement; all seemed to vie with each other in carrying out promptly and to the letter any order given. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Everett, Second Louisiana and First Lieutenant Norcross, Thirtieth Massachusetts were severely wounded while gallantly engaging the enemy's skirmishers in front. I am specially indebted to the members of my staff, Captains Speed and Whittier, Lieutenants Dean, Skinner, and Loring, for their prompt and efficient services in transmitting orders from point to point, frequently under a heavy cross-fire of canister and shell. Annexed is a list of killed, wounded, and missing of this brigade and the corps attached.*

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

[N. A. M. DUDLEY.]

Colonel, and Acting Brigadier-General.

Captain G. B. HALSTED, Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 18. Report of Colonel Thomas S. Clark, Sixth Michigan Infantry, commanding First Brigade, of the assault June 14.

BEFORE PORT HUDSON, LA., June 16, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to transmit the following report of the casualties, &c. of this command during the engagement of the 14th instant:

Agreeably to orders received from the general commanding the division, I ordered the Sixth Michigan Volunteers and Fourteenth Maine Volunteers to the extreme left for the purpose of storming the enemy's works on the river, which I afterward found they could not accomplish, owing to the nature of the ground.

Returning to the Mount Pleasant road, I deployed my skirmishers, supporting them by the One hundred and twenty-eighth New York Volunteers, Colonel Smith commanding. They were immediately followed by the Fifteenth New Hampshire Volunteers and Twenty-sixth Connecticut Volunteers, whom I brought forward in column of companies on the main road; but I was compelled to deploy them, as the enemy were pouring into us a well-directed fire of shot and shell. As the field would not permit of their being deployed but for a short distance, I was again obliged to form them into columns by companies. I mention this latter circumstances more particularly as the several movements ordered were executed with alacrity and with alacrity and with a coolness and precision which is deserving of special praise. In the interim the skirmishers, under the immediate command of Captain Wilkinson, of the One hundred and twenty-eighth New York Volunteers, were steadily advancing toward the enemy's works, but were unable to go nearer than 300 yards of the parapet.

The main column came up in good order until they arrived at a deep ravine, which had been rendered almost impassable by felled trees and

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*See revised statement, p. 67.

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