rescued the stores, and saved much of the camp and garrison equipage. This brigade remained on the ground until the next morning, when it returned to its camp.

On the 13th of May, the boats having passed the falls, the retreat was again resumed, my command falling into its old place in the rear. Continuing down the river as far as Fort De Russy, in order to be at hand to protect the boats if necessary, we reached the fort on the night of the 14th. From this point the guards on the boats were considered sufficient to protect them, and they were therefore ordered around the Simsport, on the Atchafalaya Bayou, toward which the land column was turned. On the 15th instant, while crossing Avoyelles Prairie, a brigade of the enemy's cavalry, with about twelve pieces of artillery, appeared in front and attempted to delay and annoy the column. My command was ordered forward into line on the right of the Nineteenth Corps, the Thirteenth Corps being on the extreme left. Line being formed, I sent Captain William S. Burns, acting assistant inspector-general of my staff, to report the fact and ask for instructions, which were given him by Brigadier General William Dwight, chief of staff of Major-General Banks, in the following words: "Say to General Smith that the Thirteenth Corps will press their (the enemy's) right. He with his command will attack their left, while with the Nineteenth Corps we piece their center."

As the several commands moved forward in line to execute these instructions, the brigade of cavalry galloped away, taking their artillery with them. We reached the vicinity of Simsport on the 16th, skirmishing with the pursuing cavalry. Our boats being there, a bridge was made of them across the Atchafalaya, and on the 17th, 18th, and 19th, the Thirteenth and Nineteenth Corps and the cavalry crossed the bayou.

On the 18th of May, while lying in line protecting the crossing of the other corps, the enemy made a severe attack on the lines, driving in the skirmishers. I was at the time at the landing, but had left orders with General Mower, in case the enemy attacked, to use whatever force was necessary to drive them back. He therefore ordered the line forward, driving them easily for about 2 miles across an open field and through a briar thicket, thickly interspersed with dead trees on the other side, beyond which he found them drawn up in force far outnumbering his, with about twenty pieces of artillery posted to support them. Withdrawing to the edge of the first field General Mower formed line, concealed by the thicket, and bringing his artillery up to close range awaited their advance. They soon came, when, after giving them a few rounds of canister and case-shot, he ordered a charge with the bayonet, repulsing them with terrible slaughter and driving them again through the thicket into the field beyond under protection of their artillery.

Withdrawing to his old position near the thicket they charged him again, and were a second time driven back with severe loss. The firing during the second charge set the thicket on fire, so that it formed a barrier impassable for either party. Withdrawing his troops to the open field, General Mower sent those that had been the heaviest engaged to their camps and formed a new line with the remainder, who bivouacked in line during the night. We captured 156 prisoners in the charge. Our loss was: Killed, 38; wounded, 226; missing, 3; total, 267. Lists of casualties and captures are herewith