road for the swamps, for they have but a short distance to go before they can gain the cover of the swamp, and when that is done the game is up, for a small party can scatter, and the longer we hunted for them the less would be our chances of getting them. When I came in sight of the fight I had about 300 or 400 yards to go before I could get into the yard, where the fight first commenced, and I reached the advance just as they reached the last-mentioned gate, where I stopped my men. The man before spoken of as being chased down the road by two of my men was captured, with his horse and carbine. I took him through to Donaldsonville and delivered him to Colonel Fiske. He gave his name as C. B. Calender, of Company B, Ratliff's battalion. (This company is commanded by the famous Captain Williams.) Said that he, with five or six others, joined Brown's command about one week since. He called himself a private, but the negroes who know him say he was an officer. He certainly was a very intelligent man. And here I will state that Captain Brown has been re-enforced lately, and his party probably numbers about twenty men. I have this from other parties besides the prisoner. I reached Donaldsonville about 7 p. m., and started on my return about 6 o'clock this morning. On my way back I had two little races after small squads of Brown's men, and the second time my advance guard (six men), maddened by their former ill luck, foolishly dashed after them till they gained the swamp. They had in this case about 700 or 800 yards the start, and my horses were much jaded with the long march. Still, toward the last of the race they gained fast on the rascals, and could they have had another half mile of open country they would have caught them. Being in haste to reach this post myself, I left my party in charge of a sergeant after I had brought them through the village of Bayou Goula, and rode on alone, reaching here at 1 p. m. My men came in about one hour after. In the first day's fight I had one horse shot, and the second day's racing exhausted two more so that I was obliged to leave them behind, but shall probably recover them. On my return a negro told me that Brown was badly wounded in the shoulder, but I place but little reliance in the story.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. C. BURT,

Major, Third Rhode Island Cavalry, Commanding.

Lieutenant J. C. WRITING, Jr.,

Adjutant, Post of Plaquemine.

Numbers 4. Report of Lieutenant Elisha W. Cross, Third Rhode Island Cavalry. HDQRS. COMPANY C, THIRD RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY, Terre Bonne, La., May 6, 1865.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to submit the following report of the scout from this station of Chacahoula Station:

I started with a detail of twelve men and proceeded down the road leading to Chacahoula Station. When I arrived at Mr. Shaffer's plantation I learned that six Confederates, dressed in citizens' clothes, and having with them two colored soldiers, prisoners, had taken a cross-road through the woods which leads to Bayou Black. I immediately started with intentions of following them through these woods to Bayou Black, but when I arrived at that place where the road strikes off to