were doubled and every precaution used which could guard against a surprise. The enemy appeared by the sound to be moving guns from the rear to the neighborhood of his rifle-pits, and the noise of a mill could be heard all night. The Second Brigade, Fourth Division, reports one regiment on duty with Brigadier-General Paine, two regiments in reserve near the cross roads, with the exception of 100 men detailed from these two regiments for fatigue duty at the mortar battery.

By command of Brigadier-General Weitzel:

F. F. GRAVES.

First Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

Brigadier-General GROVER,

Commanding Right Wing.

HEADQUARTERS FOURTH DIVISION,
Before Port Hudson, La., June 11, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to report the Second Brigade, First Division as follows:

That at 12 midnight a line of skirmishers, consisting of seventeen companies, extending from right to left at intervals of about 2 yards each to advance out of cover upon the position of the enemy, with orders to fire rapidly and feel it thoroughly, moved out from half to two-thirds the distance toward the parapet of the works in front, but found the fire of the enemy so hot that they were compelled to lie down for protection while receiving it. The Twelfth Connecticut skirmishers under Captain Clark, seized the cover of a ravine and moved close in upon the enemy, firing rapidly, as ordered until Captain Clark and Captain Granniss and a number of men were wounded. Captain Roche, with his company, received the fire in his front, and then led his company up on the parapet, when he was shot in the heel from within, and his followers all shot down.

There being no advance on our immediate left, this regiment and the Seventy-fifth New York were exposed to a raking fire, and the same was the case on our right, where our line was a long way advanced beyond any other. There being no fair prospect of taking the enemy's works without an advance of reserves, I ordered the troops to remain as they were until, as daylight came, it became necessary to withdraw them to save them. The force opposed to us is not heavy, but thoroughly posted, but it is the opinion of all the officers of the skirmishers that it can be driven out by an advance of our whole force, though with considerable loss.

I regret to add that the loss in killed a nd wounded is large, as follows; Killed, 2; wounded, 41; missing, 6; aggregate, 49.

Among the wounded, besides the captains mentioned before, is Lieutenant-Colonel Peck, slightly wounded in hand by splinter from a shell which exploded over brigade headquarters. This was from the only cannon fired at us, and came from the battery directly in front of the mortar battery.

The First Brigade, Fourth Division, report as follows:

The brigade commenced the advance against Port Hudson at 12 midnight.

The One hundred and thirty-first New York advanced half the distance between the position occupied yesterday and the enemy's works, which they now hold.