in this charge was more severe than in the first, owing to our being in plain view and the enemy opening upon us with his artillery for the purpose of covering the retreat of his troops.

As soon as I could collect the prisoners and my dead and wounded together I was ordered to fall back to my first position. In the charge I succeeded in capturing about 40 prisoners, which I ordered to be placed with a number the Thirty-fifth Iowa had taken in the same charge. By this time re-enforcements came forward, and I was ordered to fall back some 600 yards and form in a ditch in the field in the rear of the timber, for the purpose of resting, as my men were very much fatigued from the effects of the two charges we had made. Soon after I was ordered to move and take position with my brigade upon the extreme left, in which position I remained until 8 p. m., when I was ordered to move back to Avoyelles Bayou and bivouac for the night.

The following is a list of casualties of the regiment:* A number of others are slightly wounded, but not sufficiently to warrant their being reported. Too much praise cannot be awarded to the officers and men of my regiment for the coolness and bravery displayed while under the enemy's fire.

I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant,

GEO. W. VAN BEEK,

Major, Commanding Regiment.

Lieutenant HENRY HOOVER,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 38. Reports of Colonel William F. Lynch, Fifty-eighth Illinois Infantry, commanding First Brigade, Third Division, of the capture of Fort De Russy and engagement at Pleasant Hill, with itinerary of the brigade, March 1-May 20.

HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, THIRD DIV., 16TH ARMY CORPS, Alexandria, La., March 18, 1864.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report relative to the part taken by my command in the engagement of the 14th of March, 1864, which resulted in the capture of Fort De Russy, La.:

My brigade left Simsport at 9.30 p. m. March 13, and with a rest of only four hours reached the town of Marksville, La., at about 2.30 p. m. of the 14th; distance from Simsport, 33 miles. The position of the brigade upon the line of march was in the rear of our division. When about 1 mile beyond Marksville heavy cannonading was heard about 1 1/4 miles in the front. My command was at this time well closed up, it having been previously reported that the enemy was in our vicinity. Orders were soon received to push forward and take position to support the Third Indiana Battery, which was then already in position and vigorously replying to the fire of the enemy. Rapidly my command advanced for about an eighth of a mile and formed line in front of the fort and about half a mile from it, the Fifty-eighth Illinois Volunteers taking position upon the right of the main road, the One hundred and nineteenth Illinois Volunteers on

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*Nominal list (omitted) shows 2 killed and 14 wounded.

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