Among other rebels officers killed was General Green, who was left dead upon the field. The troops of the transports saw him fall, and claim that his death was the work of their artillery, the gun-boats and transports all firing at the same time. The enemy, under Liddell, who had occupied the north bank of the river with 2,500 men, attacked the fleet on the 13th, but was driven back with loss.

The navigation up and down the river was intricate and difficult, and the streamers were frequently aground. Several of the boats were laden with ammunition and ordnance stores, but the energy of the officers and men brought off every boat. The only loss in stores was a hundred sacks of oats, thrown overboard for the relief of a steamer aground. They reached Campi on the 14th, with a loss of 1 man killed and 18 wounded, where they met a force from the army sent to their assistance, and reached Grand Ecore on the 15th without further obstruction.

General T. Kilby Smith, to whose courtesy I am indebted for all the official information I have received of this part of the expedition, mentions with commendation Major D. C. Houston, of the engineers, who had in charge the ordnance stores, and Lieutenant Colonel W. S. Abert, officers of my staff, who accompanied him, and also officers and men of his own command and masters of transports steamers. General Smith, who commanded the land forces and transports, is entitled to the highest commendation for the energy, skill, and success with which he managed this most difficult affair. Lines of defense were established at Grand Ecore the 12th of April, and orders given to attack the enemy if he approached. A pontoon bridge was thrown across the river during the night. Our pickets were driven in on the 13th, but the enemy appeared, upon a reconnaissance made in force, to have gone below for the purpose either of attacking our troops at Alexandria or occupying Monett's Bluff, on Cane River. On the same day General Smith crossed the river with two brigades, two batteries, and a strong cavalry force, to id the fleet still above Grand Ecore. Dispatches were sent to General Steele informing him of the condition of affairs, and requesting him to join us at some point on the river. Orders were sent to New Orleans for re-enforcements, and the lieutenant-general commanding the Army was informed of the condition of affairs by telegraph and of my intention to advance upon Shreveport, if General Steele could come to our assistance, and my determination not to withdraw without orders.

The fleet returned on the 15th in safety, without loss of vessels or material of war. Admiral Porter, with whom I had a conference on his arrival at Grand Ecore, advised against any further attempt to advance without a rise of the river, and his counsel was followed. The river had been steadily falling. Supplies were brought up to Grand Ecore with very great difficulty. It was found that two of the gun-boats could not go below Grand Ecore, and it was now certain that the fleet could not pass the falls at Alexandria. Lieutenant-Commander Selfridge, left in command of the fleet by the admiral, who had gone to Alexandria, addressed to me a dispatch, dated 17th of April, stating that he had been informed the army was to withdraw immediately, and that it would be impossible in that case to get the gun-boats down the river. I informed him at once that the army had no intention of withdrawing from that position; that I had sent to New Orleans for troops, and by a special messenger to General Steele, urging his direct co-operation, and that