appear by reference to my correspondence with department headquarters. Bee, with part of Major's and Buchel's and Debray's regiments, of his own command, was pursuing the enemy toward Natchitoches. Green was at Pleasant Hill directing generally the operations of the cavalry in front. Woods' and Gould's regiments and portions of Parsons' brigade, which had reached Mansfield from Texas on the evening of the 9th and morning of the 10th, with Terrell's regiment, which had returned to Mansfield from Pleasant Hill to forage, all being cavalry, were pushed down to Green on the 10th and early on the 11th. Nettles', J. A. A. West's, McMahan's, and Moseley's batteries were also sent down, and General Green was informed of the position and movements of the fleet. The importance of reaching Blair's Landing in advance of the fleet was impressed upon him. Green with his usual energy marched from Pleasant Hill for Blair's Landing at 6 p. m. of the 11th. The same difficulty which met Bagby in the passage of the Bayou Pierre, namely, the want of a pontoon-which reference to my correspondence with department headquarters will show I had long before asked for-seriously delayed Green's movement. He, however, reached the river at and below Blair's Landing on the 12th, with Woods', Gould's, and Parsons' commands, and engaged the fleet. The loss inflicted upon the crowded transports of the enemy was terrible. Several times the transports raised the white flag, but the gun-boats, protected by their plating, kept up their fire and compelled our troops to renew the punishment on the transports. Many times our sharpshooters forced the gun-boats to close their port-holes, and it is believed that the result would have been the capture of the whole fleet but for the unfortunate fall of the noble Green, killed by a discharge of grape from one of the gun-boats. Notwithstanding that this action took place within sound of Banks' army, now concentrated at Grand Ecore, such was the demoralization resulting from the defeats of the 8th and 9th that not even a demonstration was made to assist the fleet.

Liddell, on the east bank, was, during the 11th, 12th, and 13th, actively engaged with the fleet, but no detailed report of his operations has yet been received. I beg leave to refer to copies of my orders to General Liddell, accompanying my report. On the night of the 12th, the fleet passed below the mouth of Bayou Pierre, cutting off further operations from the west bank of the river. Accordingly, the cavalry near Blair's Landing, under the command of General Major, marched back to Pleasant Hill and joined General Bee, in front of Grand Ecore and Natchitoches, which latter place was occupied by us on the 15th, the enemy having all his forces concentrated at Grand Ecore behind hastily constructed works, with a pontoon across the river, with his gun-boats and transports aground above and below.

To return for a movement to the morning of the 11th: Vincent's regiment of Second Louisiana Cavalry, much weakened by the disaster at James' Store, with Bush's regiment of Louisiana cavalry and a mountain howitzer, captured on the 8th from the enemy, were ordered down to Opelousas and the Attakapas country to capture and destroy any small bands of the enemy found roving in that region. As the enemy had stripped all that country of troops in his forward movement, Vincent is expected to clear the country, arouse the population and prevent any captured or stolen property from reaching that outlet of escape.

Early on the morning of the 13th, the general commanding the