movements until I joined the forces on the Boeuf, 25 miles south of Alexandria. The report of Major-General Walker (Document E) is respectfully submitted.* It is proper to observe that this officer had only three small companies of cavalry under his command, which were operating east of the Atchafalaya on the Mississippi. The movement of the enemy on the 12th separated these companies from General Walker, and they only reached him on the 15th, after I assumed command on the Boeuf. Consequently he was without means of gaining information from the 12th to the 15th, but subsequent events prove his estimate of the force in his front to have been more correct than mine.

From enemy's accounts it appears that Fort De Russy surrendered after two hours' resistance, with a loss to him of 4 killed and 30 wounded, and to us 5 killed and 4 wounded. The place was taken by a land attack, the gun-boats not making their appearance until after the surrender. The enemy claims 200 prisoners. Document F shows the number of guns, &c., lost.

Shortly after reaching the troops on the Boeuf I received the intelligence of the enemy's fleet reaching Alexandria about 4.50 p. m. on March 15. Before leaving Alexandria on the morning of that day I had taken steps to secure the removal of all public property by loading the steamers and sending them above the falls. From the point on the Boeuf where I assumed command of the troops the Burr's Ferry road strikes off to the Sabine. This is the shortest road from the lower Red River Valley to the Sabine. Twenty miles west of the Boeuf it crosses the old military road from Opelousas to Fort Jesup and Natchitoches. After the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, estimating the ability of the enemy at any time to throw an overwhelming force upon me by the Red River, I caused depots of forage to be placed on these roads at suitable points. The entire country from the Boeuf to the Sabine, or to Natchitoches, is a pine desert, furnishing no supplies whatever. On the 16th, the army was moved toward Carroll Jones', on the Natchitoches road, where it arrived on the evening of the 17th. Vincent's regiment of Second Louisiana Cavalry (the only mounted force at my disposal south of Red River) was ordered to move from the Teche, where it was watching the enemy's large force, and join me on the military road, leaving flying scouts on the enemy's favorable. It was a depot of forage. The roads to Burr's Ferry and to Natchitoches separated there. Only 12 miles from the Bayou Rapides and Cane River, it enabled me to draw supplies from both places and observe the movement of the fleet on the main Red River. Accordingly I determined to remain at Carroll Jones' until the last moment, hoping every hour to hear of re-enforcements, which a reference to Document G (of March 7) shows I had reason to expect. On the 19th, the Second Louisiana Cavalry joined me, and on the 20th, was sent forward to the valley of the Bayou Rapides to push on toward Alexandria.

During the 20th and the morning of the 21st, this regiment skirmished briskly with the enemy. Being apprehensive that the enemy would send largely superior forces and attempt to dislodge them, I sent Edgar's battery of light artillery to Colonel Vincent on the morning of the 21st, and posted it at a strong position near James' Store, where it commanded the valley of the Rapides. Late in the

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*See of March 19, 1864, p. 598

36 R R-VOL XXXIV, PT I

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