gun-pot, sunk in the batture; two 3-inch Parrott rifles, of Daniel's (Texas) battery, on the lower end of platform, built in the angle of the levee for four field guns, forming a redoubt, with embrasures formed by gabions, all constructed by the company of engineers attached to the First Division, under the direction of Lieutenant [Alfonso] Buhlan, C. S. Engineers, by whom the river was triangulated and distances established from the batteries, diagrams of which were furnished the officers of artillery.

The two 3-inch rifles guns of Faries' battery occupied the upper end of platform in this redoubt, under First Lieutenant Winchester.

At 7 a.m. this morning two solid shot were fired from the 12-pounder field gun of Lieutenant O. Berwick's section at a Federal transport, bound down. The fog had not lifted sufficiently to make her out distinctly. She seemed to have grounded during the night. One shot missed, and the other, a ricochet shot, struck her; distance, about 1,000 yards. She got off, and disappeared in the fog immediately after the second shot was fired. The enemy replied to this fire from the 8-inch Parrott rifle on the barge anchored near the left bank of the river, opposite Red River Landing, but not until the fog had entirely lifted, two hours later. They fired shell, with 15-second fuse, but directed at Battery No. 3, some distance below me. These shell all passed to the right of Battery No. 3, and exploded in the woods in the rear of our line of batteries. I desire to say that no shell have been furnished for the heavy 12-pounder field gun of Cornay's (Louisiana) battery, rendering the fire from this gun much less effective. It is furnished with solid shot, spherical case, and canister, all good. The range of this piece, both above and below, is good.

At 3 p.m. to-day, the guns of the lower batteries, Nos.2 and 3, opened on the Federal gunboat No. 8, bound up. The 12-pounder field gun, now under Lieutenant O. H. Jones, of Cornay's (Louisiana) battery, fired six solid shot, of which four were hits, and three spherical case, two of which struck her.

One solid shot was fired from a 3-inch rifle of Lieutenant J. R. Winchester's section at the No. 8, striking iron covering of her boilers, but not penetrating; distance, 1,200 yards.

This boat seemed to be injured to some extent. She was laid up at the bank above the barge containing the heavy rifle Parrott guns, beyond the effective range of our guns, and, from the sound after dark, I concluded they were repairing her.

The enemy replied from a 200 pounder and 30-pounder, both Parrott rifles, on the barge above us; also from the iron-clad Choctaw, near Red River Landing, and the iron-clads Franklin and Carondelet from below, creating a cross-fire on the point where the redoubt was built. The Choctaw, during the firing, left her position above, and, passing down, delivered a very heavy fire from he bow, side, and stern guns, enfilading for a short time the four rifled guns in the redoubt. Captain [J. M.] Daniel, the senior officer present, two of whose guns occupied the redoubt, thought proper to order the four guns away from the platform in the redoubt. They were run down the ramp to the road below, and the cannoneers ordered to take shelter in the curves behind the levee. This will, I trust, account for the very limited number of shots fired by the guns usually under my immediate command. The firing by the enemy ceased about 5 p.m., the iron-clads taking their old position at anchor 1 mile above the redoubt at Battery No. 1. Two gunboats from above arrived at the anchorage above us about the time the three iron-clads reached there.