from the foraging expedition as soon as the action began, came up just as we were abandoning the ravine. Seeing that re-enforcements were coming up, so as to secure my left, I formed the Eighty- third Ohio upon the plain, upon which my shattered forces now rallied. My artillery was placed upon the left and the cavalry on the right. Here we checked the enemy until our support had come fully up, when the enemy retired. As soon as we could distribute ammunition to the men, we advanced upon the enemy in the woods. General Cameron, upon my left, seeing that the enemy was disposed to offer but little more resistance, a cavalry charge was ordered through the ravine, and nearly 100 prisoners were captured. After pursuing the enemy a short distance beyond the ravine, we returned, picked up our wounded and dead, and fell back to Carrion Crow Bayou.

The forces engaged on our side in this affair were the Sixtieth Indiana, Sixty- seventh Indiana, Eighty- third and Ninety- sixth Ohio, and Twenty- third Regiment Wisconsin Infantry, numbering 1,040 effective men; the One hundred and eighteenth Illinois Mounted Infantry, First Louisiana Cavalry, and detachment Fourteenth New York Cavalry, numbering 460 men; the Seventeenth Ohio Battery, and one section Nims' battery, numbering 125 men; total, 1,625.

The enemy engaged me with about 3,500 infantry in front and not less than 2,500 cavalry and a battery of artillery on my left. In killed and wounded he suffered much more than I did, 42 of his dead being left upon the field and buried by our forces, besides quite a number that he carried away. I am led to the conclusion that I have placed an exceedingly moderate estimate upon his forces, as well as the punishment we inflicted, by the statements, herewith respectfully submitted, of Captain Sims, Sixty- seventh Indiana, and Lieutenant Gorman, First Louisiana Cavalry, who were captured and returned with our wounded. Our losses were: Killed, 26; wounded, 124; missing, 566. We lost also 36 horses, one 10- ponder Parrott gun, and 1 caisson. Most of our camp equipage and all our supply trains and all our supply trains and ammunition were saved.

The engagement began at 12.30 p. m. and continued until nearly 3 p. m. Every inch of the ground was contested through the entire ravine, and both officers and men displayed the utmost coolness and bravery. Colonel Guppey and Captain Bull, Twenty- third Regiment Wisconsin; Colonel Owen, commanding brigade, and Lieutenant Richardson, his acting assistant adjutant- general; Lieutenant- Colonel Brown, Ninety- sixth Ohio; Captain Rice, Seventeenth Ohio Battery; Colonel Fonda, One hundred and eighteenth Illinois; Lieutenant- Colonel Robinson, First Louisiana Cavalry, and Lieutenant Marland, commanding section of Nims' battery, deserve an honorable mention in that day's contest. Colonel Guppey, for rallying his men once after he was shot down; Lieutenant Richardson, acting assistant adjutant- general, for taking the advance until his horse was shot under him; Captain Rice, for standing by his battery until the last moment, and Lieutenant- Colonel Robinson, for heading a brilliant cavalry charge, all deserve the very highest approbation. The section of Nims' battery, Lieutenant Marland commanding, did more than its whole duty. I am indebted to Captain [Richard] Vance, Major [Victor] Vifquain, Surgeon [Frederick] McGrew, Captain [William B.] Lebo, and Lieutenants [Thomas J.] Elliott, [John M.] Shields, [Silas] Baldwin, and [John S.] Van Vliet, of my staff, for assisting in the execution of my orders.

S. G. BURBRIDGE,

Brigadier- General.

Major WILLIAM H. MORGAN,

Assistant Adjutant- General, Thirteenth Army Corps.