and at 5 o'clock the enemy arrived and a brisk fight continued until 8 o'clock. The enemy, having met with a severe repulse in this engagement, retired after night some 6 miles to his rear. Our command left the position about midnight for the rear. My trains reached Grand Ecore in a very fatigued condition about 10 a. m. of the 10th April. The advance of the command arrived soon after, and by noon of the 11th the entire command was encamped at Grand Ecore. Our transports were also there, from which we replenished our supplies of provisions and forage. Under the orders of Major-General Banks the command was here placed in a defensive position and remained until April 20, upon which day we moved back toward Alexandria. Pervious to marching the trains were loaded with sufficient provisions and forage, repairs were made, and on the morning the march commenced the condition of all matters pertaining to the department I supervised was as perfect as it had been on our advance. The command reached Alexandria, after continued fighting front and rear, on the 25th of April. The teams moved night and day, were never unhitched, but having been well fed, arrived in a fair but fatigued condition.

Alexandria was garrisoned by the Second Division, Nineteenth Army Corps, and after our arrival this was attached to our force, as a part of it and to move with it. The town and vicinity, with the entire command, was then placed in a defensive position, temporary earth-works constructed, and we were delayed there until the 12th of May, awaiting the construction of the dam to pass the gun-boats over the falls of Red River. On our arrival we found that all the light-draught gun-boats and the entire transport fleet had passed over the falls, and were lying at Alexandria. The dam having been completed, the remaining vessels passed over the falls on the 11th May in safety, and orders were very soon received to abandon the position; to leave on the 12th of May and resume the march to the rear. I should have stated that, a few days after we arrived at Alexandria, our command was re-enforced by the arrival of the

First Division of the Thirteenth Army Corps.

Previous to marching from Alexandria all surplus stores, tools, and land transportation were embarked on the transports, the teams reduced in number and loaded as light as possible, as continued annoyance was expected from the enemy on our march. The command, moving by land, left Alexandria on the morning of the 12th May; the gun-boat and transport fleets moved simultaneously.

The re-enforcements to the command while at Alexandria, of men and land transportation, added greatly to our numbers. The land transportation, on leaving Alexandria of the entire force, amounted to 976 teams, 105 ambulances, and, including cavalry, some 12,000 animals. The march was made successfully to the mouth of Red River, when General A. J. Smith's command embarked on his transports for Vicksburg, and the remainder of the forces continued the march to the Mississippi River, and reached Morganza the 21st May. Thus ended the campaign known or styled the Red River expedition.

The history of the operations of the quartermaster's department it but a history of the movements of the troops, and I have deemed it enough to set forth the marches and points of supply to give the proper idea of the general management of the department. During the entire campaign the public property of the department was nourished and no abandonment or useless destruction, so usual on retreats, occurred under my notice, and no serious losses other than