Numbers 19. Reports of Colonel Adolph Engelmann, Forty-third Illinois Infantry, commanding Third Brigade.

HDQRS. THIRD Brigadier, THIRD DIV., 7TH ARMY CORPS,
Camp in the Field, near Elkin's Ferry, April 7, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report that on the morning of the 3rd instant, being in camp at Okolona, I received orders to march to Hollywood with my brigade, the Seventy-seventh Ohio, and a brigade of cavalry, under Colonel Ritter, numbering 1,000 men, with two mountain howitzers. The cavalry being then stationed on the Little Missouri, it was only expected to arrive at Okolona at noon. At 9 a. m., while a large portion of the supply train still remained and my men were drawing rations for the march, the pickets stationed on the Washington road were attacked. Two companies of the Twenty-seventh Wisconsin were ordered forward to re-enforce them. The firing becoming brisk both to the right and left, additional companies of the Twenty-seventh were sent forward with orders to deploy in the woods, to the left of the road. One company of the Fortieth Iowa was deployed to the right of the skirmishers of the Fortieth, were deployed across the Arkadelphia road running eastward from Okolona. The enemy now opened on my main position with two light pieces of artillery. A single shot from one of the guns of Vaughn's battery made them quit their position. The enemy's artillery subsequently fired a few more rounds from concealed positions at my skirmishers, with but little effect. Immediately after the commencement of the artillery firing, Colonel Krez, commanding Twenty-seventh Wisconsin, was ordered forward with the remaining companies of his regiment, with instructions to join his companies already deployed and to dislodge the enemy. Two companies of the Seventy-seventh Ohio were ordered to follow the movements of Colonel Krez as a reserve, while two further companies of that regiment were deployed to the left to cover ground vacated by the advance of the Twenty-seventh. The train and its rear guard having left Okolona, one company of the Seventy-seventh was ordered to cover the road leading to the river. Some of the enemy appearing beyond the open fields to the southwest, a platoon of the Seventy-seventh was sent to re-enforce the pickets stationed in that direction, with instructions to occupy a belt of timber projecting into those fields. The skirmishing from the Arkadelphia road to the extreme left of Colonel Krez's line now became heavy, particularly in front of the Twenty-seventh, enlivened by an occasional discharge of canister or shell from the enemy's battery, when a drenching shower set in, which for a while arrested the conflict. The rain having ceased the enemy were speedily driven from our right, concentrating their forces against Colonel Krez, who, however, with his own regiment and two companies of the Fortieth Iowa, which had been the picket on that line, now drove the enemy for some distance, when he precipitately retreated, Colonel Krez pursuing for 2 miles. Unfortunately the cavalry had not yet come up, and could not be made available in the pursuit.

I beg leave to submit herewith a detailed report* of the casualties

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*Nominal list (omitted) shows 3 enlisted men killed and 7 enlisted men wounded.

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