my old brigade, under Major McDaniel, were falling back, painfully but manfully fighting like heroes. From Little Rock another column had just arrived, and these two bodies were uniting with an ugly look, presaging the coming hurricane. I had sent my artillery and ordnance train under escort of McCray's brigade to the rear as soon as the Federal re-enforcements appeared, for I knew my skeleton animals could never take them from the moist and muddy prairie if a swift retreat was necessary, and now I faced them at an odds of one to five. They formed a line of battle rapidly and came on in splendid style, and I fell back gradually before them, giving shot for shot and bringing off everything. Twice they feebly charged with the blare of bugles and the rattle of impatient arms, and twice the old veterans of my command drove them back in confusion and dismay. All day and night they followed me to Austin, which was reached by daylight, where I had left Colonel Dobbin, and where I halted for the day after marching forty miles from sun to sun and fighting six hours.

At Austin I placed two regiments under command of Colonel B. F. Gordon, a brave and skillful officer, and ordered him to bring up the rear. He held the bridge and banks of the stream, which the Federals after dismounting charged furiously three successive times, and were charged in turn three times by Colonel B. F. Gordon with brilliant dash. This satisfied them, and i returned to White River without further molestation.

The immediate and tangible fruits of my expedition ar 577 prisoners, including 1 field officer and 11 line officers; over 200 Federals killed and wounded; ten miles of railroad track destroyed completely-the ties torn up and burned, the iron heated and bent, telegraph destroyed, bridges and trestle-works ruined; 3,000 bales of hay destroyed by fire; 20 hay machines chopped to pieces; 5 forts razed to the ground; 500 stand of small-arms distributed to my unarmed men; many fine horses captured; 12 barrels of salt brought off the field and given to a command suffering for it, besides supplying. All this was done within blankets, shoes, boots, hats, and clothing. All this was done within six miles of Devall's, Bluff, and my detail was tearing up the track while the enemy's bullets, fired at the covering regiments, were throwing the splinters from the ties in their very faces.

My thanks are due to Colonels Shanks, Gordon, Hunter, Jackman, and Erwin; Major McDaniel, Captain Williams, Langhorne, Adams, McCoy, and Lieutenant-Colonel Blackwell for their eminent and devoted services. In fact, every officer under my command, and the men as a body, deserve great praise for the heroic manner in which they stormed fortifications and met and defeated largely superior numbers of the enemy.

My loss in the entire engagement is 173 killed and wounded. Among this number there fell mortally wounded Lieutenant Stone, of Shanks' regiment, and Lieutenant Dickey, of Smith's regiment, two as gallant spirits as ever laid down their lives a willing sacrifice for their country beneath the banner of the bars.

Colonel A. S. Dobbin, left at Austin to cover my rear on account of Big Cypress being swimming, performed his duty ably and perfectly.

JO. O. SHELBY.

Lieutenant Colonel J. F. BELTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Camden, Ark.