S. B. Maxey and his command, and takes pleasure in acknowledging their valuable services in the battle of Poison Spring and in the operations of Prairie D'Ane and around Camden.

By command of Lieutenant General E. Kirby Smith:

GEO. WILLIAMSON,

Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 76. Report of Colonel Charles De Morse, Twenty-ninth Texas Cavalry, commanding Gano's brigade, of engagement at Poison Spring.

HDQRS. TEXAS BRIGADE, MAXEY'S DIVISION,
Picket Camp, April 21, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have to report that at 7 a. m. on Monday, the 18th instant, I moved the brigade, in obedience to order and in conjunction with the Choctaw brigade, to a position near the Poison Spring, contiguous to Lee's farm, on the upper road from Washington to Camden, and was there ordered to form on the left of Cabell's command, just then beginning to form, dismount the men, and leaving horse-holders and horses in the rear, to move forward on an elevation in front overlooking an old field. Detaching Captain Damron, of the Thirty-first, with 25 men, to scout a road leading from our left to our rear, I moved forward and halted, and soon had 1 man wounded by a minie-ball from the enemy, who were firing upon us. Keeping the men in like kneeling, I went around the left of the field immediately before us to seek a position for Krumbhaar's battery of light howitzers, attached to the brigade, but found none. I then received an order from General Maxey to move to the left of the field, leaving space enough between me and it. I moved as directed, and at the southwest corner of the fence around the field, upon the north of which the main road ran, I reformed the line in order and proceeded to move around parallel to the rod upon which the enemy were formed and attack them in flank, in accordance with General Maxey's plan of operation. My extreme left was Krumbhaar's battery, upon which the Choctaw brigade was formed, to move concurrently with mine. Upon the left of the Choctaws were two companies of the Thirty-first Texas, of my brigade, mounted. In making this forward movement I found great difficulty in preserving alignment and connection. The ground was very irregular and bushy, and at one time Captain Krumbhaar sent me word that he could not move the battery any farther. He had no axes with him, but causing men to bend to the ground and hold saplings of considerable size he finally got forward. The irregularity of the ground was such that at one time, after crossing a ridge and turning round to my men, I found them marching involuntarily by the left flank. Reforming them and throwing forward skirmishers, I received notice before advancing far that a body of the enemy's cavalry was moving across the field near by. Moved rapidly onward and order Major Carroll, commanding the Twenty-ninth Texas Cavalry, to engage the enemy as soon as practicable. Getting up to the fence, which was attained by passing up a steep ascent, his skirmishers emptied their guns at the small body of cavalry in the field, setting some of the horses rider-less.