night, and arrive at Grand Ecore on the 10th of April, at 12 m., and went into camp. On the 12th, I was ordered by Major-General Banks to have the pontoon bridge laid across Red River. There was not bridge enough to reach across the river, so I obtained a flat-boat, and, by cutting down the ends to level with the pontoons and building a false bottom in it, made a bridge of sufficient length to reach across. This bridge was very useful to the army, as they were short north bank of the river there was corn in abundance,a s that country had not been overrun by either our own troops or those of the enemy. On the 16th of April the transport steamer Black Hawk, through the carelessness or maliciousness of her pilot, ran through the bridge, completely destroying three of the pontoon boats. This damage, however, was repaired by the use of two Birago trestles and a small flat-boat. The bridge was kept down until the 21st of April, when it was taken up to move with the army to Alexandria. During this time I kept one company upon the bridge, day and night, to guard and keep it in repair, relieving them every six hours. On the 13th of April I was ordered by General Banks to take all my available force and construct an abatis and rifle-pits around Grand Ecore. I was engaged on this work until the 19th. On the 20th, I received orders from General Franklin to repair the road from Grand Ecore to Cane River, and to construct a crossing over the river at the nearest practicable point. I reconnoitered the road, which had never been much used, and found a good crossing about 2 1/2 miles from Grand Ecore. I immediately ordered out 200 men, under Lieutenant-Colonel Pearsall, of the Fifth Engineers, to build a bridge, and make approaches on both sides. This was all finished at 12 p. m. on the night of April 20.

On the 21st, I was ordered by General Franklin to take up the pontoon bridge and be ready to march at 5 p. m., immediately in rear of the advance brigade (General Birge's). I marched all that night and the following day, when we reached Cloutierville, only halting long enough to give the men time to make coffee, making about 35 miles in twenty-four hours. On the following morning (April 23) the enemy was found to be strongly posted in our front, at the lower crossing of Cane River, with a large force threatening our rear. General Franklin ordered me to place my troops in such a position as to be able to protect the trains of the army, inn case the enemy attempted a flank movement on our left. This position I held until the crossing at Cane River had been secured by our troops, when I was immediately ordered forward to lay the bridge. At 7 p. m. the bridge was ready to pass the trains. The approaches to the bridge being very steep and difficult, I ordered three details, of 100 men each, to help the trains across the bridge. In this way all the trains across the bridge. In this way all the trains were crossed before 12 m. on the following day (April 24). As soon as all the troops and trains had crossed I took up the bridge and resumed the march toward Alexandria, where I arrived on the night of April 25. On the following morning I received orders from Captain Palfrey, U. S. Engineers, and acting chief engineer Department of the Gulf, to remove all the barricades that that had been erected in the streets of Alexandria, and to cut down all the timber within 1,200 yards of the city, and also to construct a battery for six guns on the Bayou Rapides road. This work was all accomplished on the 28th of April, and on the 29th I received orders from General Banks to report to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Bailey, acting military engineer Nine-