Twelfth Regiment, with a squadron charged and routed the picket and reserve picket of the enemy, and when stopped by the infantry line in his front returned to enjoy the coffee, &c., which had been prepared for the breakfast of the fugitives. Captain V [eal] received a severe wound in this attack. The enemy on these occasions showed no disposition to leave his position.

On the 14th, two regiments being in position to feel him, he was found to be leaving by way of a cross-road, which in 4 miles reached the road leading down the south side of Red River. The pursuit was commenced at once, and a sharp contest ensued in the timber bordering on Red River, where we wee unable to force their position until their rear had passed. Small commands were then thrown on the flank of the enemy, but owing to the nature of the country with little general success. Captain Nunn, of Morgan's battalion, succeeded in getting a good position with his squadron and delivered an effective fire at short range.

On the 15th, having started Colonel Parsons with two regiments in the rear of the enemy and placed the Twenty-first (which had joined me by way of Alexandria) and Morgans' battalion to operate on his flank, I went foward to a road leading from Cheneyville to Red River, from which road the Second Louisiana Cavalry and Fifth Texas had reported to me during the night previous. I found these regiments engaged in repairing bridges over some small bayous, which were not put in a state of readiness until the enemy's rear had passed, as I found in moving forward immediately upon my arrival. These two regiments, under command of Colonel Vincent, Second Louisiana Cavalry, might have attacked with great effect had the proper energy been shown at a time when Colonel Parsons had engaged the enemy's rear within 3 miles from them. They were withdrawn that night to re-enforce General Wharton, who expected to and did engage the enemy in front the next morning. I followed in the rear with Parsons' brigade and attacked again near Marksville, where a wagon and 30 prisoners were captured, and several of the enemy's dead left on the field.

On the 17th, General Wharton having fallen in rear of the retreating foe, I joined him with the brigade under my command, and was immediately put in the advance. We skirmished and fought with the enemy until almost dark, when he opened heavy fire of artillery upon us from a position which became better known as the battle-field of the next day.

The operations of the 18th, commencing with a charge of cavalry in two columns, under Lieutenant-Colonel Giddings, of the Twenty-first, and Major Williams, of the Nineteenth, having been under the personal observation of the major-general commanding, I will not embrace in this report, but will only state that my force on my left was weakened, and I prevented from strengthening it by the removal of a portion of my brigade without my knowledge by Brigadier-General Major, by whose order, I am informed by the regimental commandeers, they were placed on the extreme right, in consequence of which disposition they were not to be found when much needed on the left.

The loss in killed and wounded during the operations referred to in the Twelfth, Nineteenth, and Twenty-first Regiments and Morgan's battalion Texas cavalry amounts to more than 200.

I cannot attempt to do justice to all of the officers and men of this command, all of whom were strangers to me when I joined them in