points. Simultaneous with his march from Natchitoches a fleet of some thirty gun-boats and transports, many of the latter loaded with troops, ascended the river above Grand Ecore, the port of Natchitoches, on the main Red River. This fleet was watched by Brigadier-General Liddell with a small brigade of cavalry and a four gun battery. This officer had been in command on the Ouachita. He was directed to throw his command from the Ouachita to the east bank of Red River and annoy the enemy's boats in the river. As he was in constant communication with me, his movements were directed from this side and made to conform with mine. Such was the confidence of the enemy in his superior numbers and vast preparations that his fleet ascended the river 100 miles above Grand Ecore, notwithstanding the difficulty of navigation, the result of low and falling water, and the punishment inflicted by Liddell. The troops of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Corps, which came from Vicksburg and landed at Simsport, as they came in transports and had not appeared on the battle-field of the 8th, were certainly on the transports, being without land transportation. From Pleasant Hill a good road leads to Blair's Landing, on Red River, 16 miles distant, and crossing Bayou Piere 4 miles from the river, Blair's Landing being 45 miles above Grand Ecore by water. From Pleasant Hill to Natchitoches the stage road leads around Spanish Lake, distance 36 miles, through a pine woods desert. The possession of Pleasant Hill thus prevented Banks from re-enforcing by the short line from his transports by the Blair's Landing road and threw him back to Natchitoches before he could unite his troops.

On the night of the 8th, shortly after the action closed, I ordered a force of cavalry to push on the road from Blair's Landing to Pleasant Hill, taking a cross-road from Mansfield which fell into that road near the ferry over the Bayou Pierre, mentioning in the order that a small force posted on the bluff overlooking Bayou Pierre could delay indefinitely the crossing of that stream from the east. Unfortunately this order was construed to mean that its execution was to follow on possession of Pleasant Hill, so that I could not decide what force we were confronted by on the 9th. It was late after midday before the infantry got up, and a glance at Churchill's troops showed they were too much exhausted to attack. The infantry was ordered to lie down and rest for two hours. Mean time cavalry was pushed right and left to gain information, and a party was sent on the Blair's Landing road by a detour to the left, to procure the intelligence of which I was deprived by the mistake above mentioned. This party did not return until after the attack. At 3 p. m., the infantry being somewhat restored by rest, the plan of attack was formed and the troops put in motion. The Arkansas and Missouri divisions, under Churchill and Parsons, with Etter's and Daniel's batteries, were sent to the right to outflank the enemy, reach the Jesup road, and attack from the south and west. Churchill, the senior officer, was to push Hardeman's, McNeill's, and Terrell's cavalry to his right, and communicate with Walker on his left. When the enemy was driven, the cavalry above mentioned was to push down the Jesup road for 12 miles, take a cross-road leading into the Natchitoches road, and thus fall on the enemy's line of retreat. Walker filed to the right through the woods to form line between the Pleasant Hill and Jesup roads and communicate with Churchill's left. As soon as he heard Churchill's and Parson's guns he was to attack by echelon of brigades from his right, the men to throw for-