route for the army, where they could have traveled without all that immense train, the country supporting them as they proceeded along. The roads are good, wide fields on all sides, a river protecting the right flank of the army, and gun-boats in company. An army wound have no difficulty in marching to Shreveport in this way.

There is Bayou Pierre to pass, and some bridges to be built, but this is child's play to our Western men, and "not so bad as being beaten" in a pine barren, with only one road through it, and that a narrow one, where troops cannot pass carts. I send you a correct map,* which I think will give you a good idea of the views I have expressed, if you have not got it already, knowing this country as well as you do. Why General Banks went through a desert, where he could not even find water (so he says), instead of a prolific country, I cannot say. You know I have always said that Providence was fighting this great battle its own way, and brings these reverses to teach us, a pound, stiff-necked, and unthankful people, how to be contented under a good Government, if peaceful times come again. I hope it will teach us not to place the destinies of a great nation in the hands of political generals or volunteer admirals.

When I arrived at Springfield Landing I found a sight that made me laugh; it was the smartest thing I ever knew the rebels to do. They had gotten that huge steamer, New Falls City, across Red River, 1 mile above Logy Bayou, 15 feet of her on shore on each side, the boat broken down in the middle, and a sand-bar making below her. An invitation in large letters to attend a ball in Shreveport was kindly left stuck up by the rebels, which invitation we were never able to accept. We had landed, though, at Springfield Landing with many hundred thousand rations, twenty-siz transports, and six gun-boats. Word had already gone to General Dick Taylor, at Mansfield, that the transports contained many men (a large force), whereas we only had 2,000 under General Kilby Smith; still that report shook the rebels.

We surprised the guard who were watching our movements; my boat, the Cricket, came on them suddenly; our men rushed on shore, nearly taking them while eating their supper, and the letter was lying on the table giving an account of our "strong force." When the recipient was in the act of reading it he got away to carry the news to Taylor, who would have been in full retreat on Shreveport had General Banks not appeared on the field on the morning of the 8th. While discussing the feasibility of getting the Falls City out of the way (we were provided with everything to do it) a courier rode in the tell us that Banks had been badly whipped and was in full retreat to Grand Ecore, and that the transports and troops were ordered "to return without delay," and easier thing said than done. We had disembarked the troops, none dreaming of anything but victory to one of the best appointed armies I ever saw in the field, and after getting in our pickets and getting the troops on board, I reversed the order of steaming, and with a heavy heart started downward, anticipating that the rebels, flushed with victory, with our army in full retreat before them, would come in on our flank and cut us to pieces.

The banks were height above our pilot houses, and sharpshooters could annoy us with impunity. I was much annoyed when I found that General Banks' quartermaster had added to the convoy ten

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*To appear in the Atlas.

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