at 7. 30 a. m. I moved north to a point seven miles from West Point, and northeast, and to the right of Prospect Bluff, by Prince's house, where the road was in an easterly direction, leading to a point on White River three miles from and north of Hatcher's Ferry.

Following the road, we marched six miles and a half and camped in the woods. The entire route from Prince's to camp was an almost impassable swamp, the water in three or four places being so deep as to force the command to swim their horses. After a vast deal of trouble the camping place was reached at 3 p. m. It retained constantly all day and during the night, rendering the march exceedingly difficult and fatiguing. Resuming the march the next day, the 10th instant, we reached a point two miles from Hatcher's Ferry, on the west bank of White River, at 3 p. m., when we encamped for the night, marching nearly the entire distance, nine miles, in water from six inches to four feet deep, at times swimming our horses, and through a low, miry, swampy country, in a very severe snow-storm, accompanied by a cold north wind, and enduring and surmounting hardships and difficulties caused by the inclemency of the weather and the almost impassable condition of the surrounding country and its roads rarely experienced by troops in any country. The next day, the 11th instant, the steamers Ella and Belle Peoria being in readiness, I crossed the command to the east side of White River, landing at a point two miles north of Augusta. The town was occupied at 12 m., the command encamping in the grove adjoining the town, on Hough's place. The order to "consume forage" and "gather beeves" we carried out to the letter during the entire time the command remained at Augusta. Small bodies of troops were daily sent out in every direction, and succeeded in capturing a large number of beeves and bringing in or consuming great quantities of forage. We remained at Augusta from the 11th to the 24th instant, on which day, at 8. 30 a. m., in obedience to orders received at Brownsville [from] the general commanding on the evening of the 22nd instant, I commenced moving south to a point opposite Nigger Hill, nineteen miles south of Augusta, where I intended to cross the column in order to avoid the trouble and delay to crossing both the White and Red Rivers. I sent the train from Augusta to Nigger Hill by boat, knowing that it would be well nigh impossible of the high stage of water, which was so deep that it could only be crossed by swimming horses. Having seen the column safely across this bayou, the march was resumed, most of the way on the levee, until the point opposite Nigger Hill was reached at 6 p. m. Failing to communicate with the steamer Ella, which left August in the morning, I camped on the river-bank, and commenced crossing the command the next morning, the 25th instant, which was successfully finished at 9 a. m. on the 26th instant. Leaving Nigger Hill at that time, I moved the command in a northwesterly direction till the south bank of Red River was reached, where the levee road was followed for seven miles to West Point, which place was reached at 1. 30 p. m. Moving on, I camped for the night on Burrows' plantation, five miles and a half from West Point and four from Searcy. The next day the march was resumed at 8 a. m., and the command, with the exception of the train and its guard, safely reached Brownsville, via Searcy, Stony Point, and Austin, at 11. 45 p. m., having marched forty-seven miles in one day. The train and its guard encamped near Cypress Bayou, and the next day came into Brownsville at 1 p. m. No form of the enemy was seen or heard of except two or three small bodies on Crowley's Ridge and below Clarendon. We