In this day's fighting the following men of the battery had been wounded: Private Bernard Kohlhaus, who died next day; Corpl. August Herzog, in left foot, severely; Private Henry Meyers, in head, slightly. We camped in the fort southeast of Camden, the fort being constructed for six guns, where we remained several days.

On the 15th day of April, by order of Major General F. Steele, a forage train, consisting of 200 wagons and about 1,200 men as an escort, with two pieces of the Second Indiana Battery, was sent after forage on the same road on which we came to Camden.

On the 18th, the train was attacked; the artillery captured; also the escort either taken or killed; and as there were three of our battery teams along, all the men except 3 returned to camp. The names of these men missing are Henry Wahl, Hubert Zeitvogel, and Harris E. Wilson.

On the 22nd of April two sections of our battery (the first and third sections), under command of Lieutenant Charles Peetz, were ordered with the Second Brigade as escort to a supply train from Camden to Pine Bluff. The center section remained at Camden. During the evening of the 25th, Edward Warner, who belonged to the first section, returned, stating that the rebels had captured the train and whole escort and that he had made his escape. The next day this was confirmed by others coming in, and being forced by these circumstances General Steele commenced the retreat toward Little Rock, Ark.

We crossed the Ouachita River at Camden, during the night of the 26th and 27th of April, and marched unmolested the 27th, 28th, and 29th, but on the afternoon of the 29th our rear was attacked, but our troops very easily repulsed the attack. During the afternoon a heavy rain commenced falling, which continued that day and the following night. We had just entered the Saline Bottom at Jenkins' Ferry, known to be a very difficult crossing-place and after heavy rains almost impassable. During the night of the 29th, we commenced crossing, first the ordnance train, &c. That night it was impossible to move with the artillery, and next morning found us yet on the Camden side of the Saline River in a most pitiable condition, hungry and in mud and rain, &c. At daybreak the enemy attacked us again in the rear, but General Salomon, with his infantry and some colored troops of General Thayer's command, formed in line of battle and received the enemy with yells and shouts, and after more than six hours' had fighting the enemy were defeated, leaving three pieces of artillery and their dead and wounded in our hands. No artillery had been used during the engagement on our side. Our loss is reported to be heavy, but I have not yet seen any official report.

The roads were so bad that General Steele had ordered to burn all the transportation trains except so much, to save all records and company books; we also had to destroy all of our clothing. We camped 5 miles the other side of the Saline River that night, and pushed on next day on forced marches to Little Rock, Ark., which place we arrived at on the 2nd of May, 1864.

I remain, yours, truly,

CHARLES PEETZ,

First Lieutenant Battery E, Second Missouri Artillery.

Colonel N. COLE,

Commanding Second Missouri Light Artillery.