on the left of the Second Infantry Division. The battery of two 30-pounder Parrott rifles on siege carriages, commanded by First Lieutenant Maunsel Bennett, of Boone's (Louisiana) battery, at the entrance of a road running parallel to the Long Bridge road and leading to Bayou Rouge through the woods in our rear; Cornay's (Louisiana) battery, commanded by First Lieutenant John B. Tarleton, was posted on the right and 600 yards in advance of the Parrott guns; Captain J. T. M. Barnes' battery of Louisiana regulars on the left of and in advance of the 30-pounder Parrotts.

On the morning of the 16th instant, at 7 a. m., the enemy having appeared on the rolling prairie in our front with artillery, cavalry and infantry, the two 30-pounder Parrott rifles opened with percussion shell at 1 mile distance. These shell proving defective by exploding prematurely soon after leaving the guns, the two Parrott rifles were advanced 600 yards, in line with the two light batteries, and commenced firing solid shot, which was continued and caused the batteries of the enemy to change position frequently during the morning. The two light batteries commenced firing at 7.30 a. m. at the batteries, cavalry, and skirmishers of the enemy, and continued the firing at intervals until 10.30 a. m. At 10 o'clock the trail of one of the 30-pounder as to reader it unserviceable. It was retired into the pounder howitzer section of Cornay's battery, under Lieutenant Oscar D. Berwick, was moved to the extreme left of the line, supported by cavalry and infantry, where the enemy was massing his infantry in the rear of a heavy skirmish line. The howitzers opened on the enemy at from 200 to 300 yards with marked effect. At 10.30 a. m. I was ordered to retire the artillery, which was done by battery and by section, the howitzer section of Cornay's battery retiring last. The guns were then moved on the road through the woods in our rear in good order, moving with the infantry on the flanks.

The batteries of my command moved forward into battery under cover of Brigadier General X. B. Debray's brigade of Texas cavalry, deployed in my front. The Twenty-eighth Regiment Louisiana Infantry Volunteers, Colonel Pool, was deployed as skirmishers in my front as soon as it was uncovered by General Debray's cavalry, which retired by the right flank and reformed in my rear. Forty-one solid shot, 10 percussion-shell, and 25 fuse-shell-a total of 76 rounds-were fired from two 30-pounder Parrott rifles, Lieutenant M. Bennett commanding; 71 solid shot, 50 spherical case, and 24 shell were fired from four 12-pounder field guns; 69 percussion and fuse shell from two bronze James rifles, and 25 shell from two bronze field howitzers (these eight guns composing the two light batteries commanded by Captain Banres and Lieutenant Tarleton), making a total of 315 rounds fired by the battalion of ten guns. Owing to distance, the dust and mist which hung over the prairie, and the fact that the enemy's position was hind the crest of a ridge in the prairie. I was unable to observe the effect of all our shots, but the guns were well served and the firing very accurate and to the mark.

The enemy fired 3-inch, 12-pounder, and 20-pounder rifles, also 30-pounder Parrott shot and shell, with rapidity and with more accuracy than I have before observed, the most of his shot and shell falling in and near the batteries, but few of his shell exploding however, which account for so few casualties.

The casualties in Conray's battery were Private Boudreaux, left