Bon, of the Fifth Engineers, to report to Captain Smith to assist him in the management of the bridge, and in this capacity they both rendered signal and important service, throughout the whole campaign. On the morning of March 29, I left Alexandria at 6 a. m., with the two regiments and the pontoon train, with orders from Major-General Franklin (who left on the day before) to join him as soon as possible. I marched to Henderson's Hill, 18 miles, and encamped at 6 p. m., and shortly afterward received orders from General Franklin, who was then at Cane River, 15 miles distant, to move forward with the pontoon train through the pine woods that night, and report to him as soon as possible on the next morning. According at 8 p. m. I took the pontoon train, with the Fifth Engineers, and started through the pine woods for Cane River. The takes seemed almost a hopeless one, as the night was intensely dark and the road crooked, and rendered almost impassable on account of the mud. In many places the road had to be corduroyed with brush and logs before the train could pass at all. It was also necessary to build fires all along the road had to be corduroyed with brush and logs before the train could pass at all. It was also necessary to build fires all along the road had at intervals of 50 or 60 yards in order to see the road. At 10 a. m. on the 30th March I reported to General Franklin, and he immediately ordered a detail from the Nineteenth Army Corps to help lay the bridge, as my own men were nearly worn out with the fatigue of marching. At 1 p. m. the bridge was ready to cross the trains. In laying the bridge we used nine bates, making a bridge 200 feet in length. This was the first time that this bridge had been laid, and it worked admirably. For strength and durability I regard it as the best pontoon bridge in use. The only objection to it is the difficulty in transportation. On the 31st, General Franklin ordered me to send forward the Third Engineers with the advance of the Nineteenth Army Corps, and to remain behind myself with the Fifth Engineers to take up the pontoon bridge as son as all the troops and trains were crossed, and then report to him as soon as possible. The trains did not all get over until 10 p. m. of the 31st. As soon as all the trains had crossed I ordered the bridge to be taken up, and at 12 p. m. the bridge was all loaded and on the march. At 6 a. m. on the 1st of April I reported to Major-General Franklin at the upper crossing of Cane River, having marched nearly all night. At this place the river was fordable, and it was not necessary to lay the bridge. Here I found the Third Engineers awaiting my arrival. From this point to Natchitoches the road and bridges were in good order. My command arrived at Natchitoches on the 2nd of April, and remained there in camp until the 6th, when I was ordered by General Franklin to march, with the Thirteenth Army Corps, on the road to Shreveport.

I arrived at Pleasant Hill on the 8th of April, after a very fatiguing march of three days. The roads were very bad, owing to the heavy rains, and had to be corduroyed in many places. At Pleasant Hill I received an order, at 3 p. m., from General Franklin to go into camp and move forward with my command on the following morning t 6 a. m., and report to him as soon as possible. At 12 p. m. I received orders from him to remain at Pleasant Hill until further orders; also heard of the disaster to our troops at Sabine Cross-Roads, and ordered my command to form in line of battle, and remained so until 12 m., April 9, when I received orders from General Franklin to move my command and train to Grand Ecore (35 miles back) without delay. I started immediately, marching all