To-day I have felt all the paths and levees back, the ground, except the levees, being all under water still; and at 3 p. m. we will open another cannonade to prolong the diversion, and keep it up till after dark, when we shall drop down to Chickasaw, and so on back to camp.

To-morrow I will move Blair's DIVISION up to Milliken's Bend, just below your headquarters, and with Steele's and Tuttle's DIVISIONS will obey your order and reach Perkins'. I hear the enemy has crossed over to Bigg's plantation in yawls, doubtless to see what we are about. They will not find out much. The road to Richmond cannot be reached from Bigg's on account of the overflow.

All our regimental wagons must be on the road, which will leave me without wagons, but I will get to Perkins' somehow. Steele will write you all of interest from Milliken's.

All well with us here, and I do not apprehend any serious loss in the cannonade proposed for this p. m. I want to prolong the diversion as much as possible in your favor.

In haste,

SHERMAN.

General GRANT.

Number 2. Report of Brigadier General Louis Hebert, C. S. Army.

HDQRS. SECOND DIST., DEPT. OF MISS. AND E. La., Vicksburg, May 11, 1863.

Major R. W. MEMMINGER,
Assistant Adjutant-GENERAL:

SIR: Herewith I transmit to you, with my approval, the report of Brigadier-General Hebert of the engagement with the enemy at Snyder's Mill, April 30 and May 1, 1863.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNO. H. FORNEY,

Major-General, Commanding.

[Inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS, Snyder's Mill, May 4, 1863.

MAJOR: I have the honor to report that on April 20 a fleet of the enemy's gunboats and transports descended the Yazoo River as far as the mouth of Chickasaw Bayou.

On the 30th, in the morning, the fleet advanced, and by 10. 15 a. m. the gunboats engaged our batteries and commenced shelling our lines of works; the transports in the mean time, landing below out of reach of our guns, disembarked infantry. The position assumed by the gunboats only permitted our batteries to engage the leading iron-clad Choctaw at a distance of about 2,000 yards. At 2. 30 p. m. this boat had been so injured as to be compelled to draw out of the fight for repairs, and our firing against the boats ceased. During the afternoon the enemy's troops (with the exception of skirmishers) fell back to their transports, and all became quiet for the night. As the boats ascended the river, our pickets had fallen

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