flag fell back in the woods, bearing with them what we are well convinced was dead or wounded. All of our officers and men witnessed the base expedient thus resorted to remove their wounded and killed from the field of their cowardly flight under a flag of truce.

I am general, very respectfully,

JNO. R. FELLOWS,

Captain, and Assistant Inspector-General.

Brigadier-General [W. N. R.] BEALL.

[JUNE] -, 1863.

GENERAL: Enemy have advanced three times on the works, and have been repulsed with loss. We shot down their flag in the last attack, and it has not since been raised. They are forming a fourth line. Have no fear as to matters here. We are perfectly able to maintain our line without further help. My horse has run off; can you send me another? Two men killed and I wounded here, all in the artillery.

Respectfully

JNO. R. FELLOWS,

Captain, and Assistant Inspector-General.

[Brigadier-General BEALL.]

Numbers 38. Reports of Colonel David Provence, Sixteenth Arkansas Infantry, of the capture of Union outposts, and casualties to July 8.

JUNE 27, 1863.

GENERAL: Yesterday morning works of the enemy were discovered about 200 yards to my front, and some 300 in advance of any of the neighboring works of the enemy. I was unable to comprehend the design of these works. I therefore directed Lieutenant-Colonel [J. M.] Pittman to send out a brave and cautious man to examine them. Accordingly, Private Mieres was sent out, who passed beyond the works to the right of them, so that he could get a view of them from the enemy's side. He reported the words connected with the woods by a deep ravine, and that they were occupied by some 15 or 20 men. A short time before nightfall, Colonel Pittman sent out Sergt. J. W. Parker the result of whose reconnaissance was substantially the same as that of Private Mieres. Feeling that I would not be able to post our pickets without the loss of life, or else discontinue pickets altogether I determined to take the works and destroy them. I directed Colonel Pittman to call for 30 volunteers from the Sixteenth Arkansas for the execution of this order, and place them under a proper officer. Many of the men and large numbers of the officers volunteered. The accompanying is a list of those finally chosen and allowed to go,* to which list, if proper, I might add the names of several commissioned officers. The whole were placed under the command of Lieutenant A. S. McKennon. At nightfall they were placed outside of our works, at a point south and west of the enemy's works. At the same time a number of our men, at a point considerably to the left of Lieutenant McKennon, were directed to make a noise and engage the enemy at the battery in

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*Not found.

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