to officer within my immediate command, which conflict with my arrangements, and render my plans for the future so uncertain that I am almost disheartened.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. TAYLOR,

Major-General, Commanding.

Colonel S. S. ANDERSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST LOUISIANA, In the Field, April 27, 1864.

COLONEL: The operations of yesterday were important. At daylight Bagby and Parsons attacked the rear of the enemy on the Rapides road and drove him rapidly down the baryon. Major attacked his flank at James' Store and Bee at McNutt's Hill. The pursuit and fighting continued until night in the direction of Alexandria and close in to that place. Since daylight on the 22nd, when we attacked the enemy at Natchitoches, the fighting has never ceased one moment during light, wharton even anticipating the dawn and continuing after nightfall. We suffer losses every day, but inflict incalculably greater on the enemy. Without food for man or horse, our men seem animated by a determination to quench the incendiary fires lighted by the vandals in their blood. If pluck and energy can supply the place of numbers we will yet reap the harvest of which the seeds were sown at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. Yesterday morning Colonels Likens and Harrison attacked four gun-boats and two transports at Montgomery. One of the gun-boats was a heavy iron-clad, casemated boat, and had been unable to pass the bar below Montgomery. The other boats remained to assist her. About 9 a. m. our sharpshooters opened and killed many of the enemy, his men being exposed in all directions working. After some delay the gun-boats opened a heavy fire and commenced moving down. The large iron-clad struck on the bar, when the enemy blew her up and continued down the river, our men following for some distance. A small party of General Liddell's command co-operated from the opposite bank. We lost 2 killed and 4 wounded. Mean time Lieutenant-Colonel Caudle, with 200 sharpshooters and Cornay's battery, had been posted at the junction of Cane and Red River to intercept the boats on their way down. At about 6 p. m. the leading gun-boat and one transport came down. Our fire speedily silenced and crippled the gun-boat, and a shot striking the boiler of the transport exploded it. Under cover of the steam the gunboat drifted out of fire. The loss of line on the transport was fearful. Over 100 bodies were brought on shore and about 80 others will die from the effects of the scalding steam. The transport was crowded with the crew of the large iron-clad, removed before she was blown up at Montgomery. We saved some valuable stores from the transport, and I ordered her sunk in the channel to prevent the escape of the two gun-boats and transport still above. We had but 2 casualties in this affair, 1 wounded and the gallant Captain Cornay killed. As I am writing I hear the heavy report of the gun-boat firing at the same point. I hope to report the capture or destruction of these boats. About the time of the attack at Montgomery Colonel Brent, with Benton's and a section of Nettles' batteries, assisted by a few sharpshooters, opened on an eight-gun wooden boat at Deloach's