the right with two regiments of General Crocker's DIVISION, under Colonel Holmes, of the Tenth Missouri Volunteers, I advanced the entire line on the right, the enemy retiring rapidly before the advancing lines. I pushed my advance until we were in possession of the town of Raymond, the enemy being in full retreat by different roads in the direction of Jackson. I regret to report that our casualties in this battle were large, embracing in the number Captain Frank Leeper, Eighth Illinois Volunteers, who was mortally wounded in the front of his command in their gallant and successful charge. On the night of the 12th, we bivouacked in the outskirts of the town of Raymond, and early next morning moved toward Jackson, by way of Clinton, bivouacking for the night at Clinton, amidst a violent storm. Early in the morning, in a continuous and heavy rain, we moved toward Jackson, making a moist, toilsome march through mud and rain, [arriving] at 10 o'clock near the city of Jackson. The DIVISION of General Crocker, being in advance, encountered the enemy in force. We were ordered up to the support of the advance, but arrived only in time to witness the brilliant and successful charge of the Seventh DIVISION, driving the enemy in dismay from the field.

In the advance upon Jackson, we held the extreme left of the line, and after a toilsome march over a country cut up by creeks and ravines and covered with thick brush, we approached the city, and finding the enemy had retired toward Canton, again bivouacked for the night.

On the morning of the 15th, I moved by command in the advance toward Bolton, making a march of 22 miles, bivouacking for the night at that place, a coming up with the command of Brigadier-General Hovey, of Thirteenth Army Corps, encamped at that point.

On the morning of the 16th, moved in direction of Vicksburg, General Hovey's DIVISION having the advance. After a march of a few miles, I was advised of the presence of the enemy in our front in large force. At this time I could distinctly hear the firing of skirmishers in the front. I received an order from Major-General Logan to advance with my brigade, consisting at the time of the Eighth Illinois Volunteers, Thirty-SECOND Ohio Volunteers, and Eighty-first Illinois Volunteers (the Seventh Missouri being rear guard), and take position in the rear of De Golyer's battery as a reserve, which position I immediately occupied, holding my brigade massed in column of battalions.

On the extreme left, General Hovey's DIVISION was in line, and on the right and center the brigades of Generals SMITH and Leggett. Soon after I arrived on the field the engagement became general, our entire line advancing and attacking the enemy with great fierceness.

As the line advanced, I was ordered to move my command to the right, and deploy my column so as to let my left rest on the right, of General SMITH's brigade. I occupied this under cover of a skirt of timber, deploying a heavy line of skirmishers, covering my entire front and extending considerably beyond my right flank. My line being formed, the Eighth Illinois, Lieutenant Colonel Sturgess commanding, on my left, the Thirty-SECOND Ohio Volunteers, Colonel B. F. Potts commanding, in the center, and the Eighty-first Illinois, Colonel J. J. Dollins commanding, on the right, my skirmishers, under command of Colonel H. Lieb, NINTH Louisiana Volunteers, acting volunteer aide, were immediately advanced to the front, and the whole line rapidly pushed forward. Passing through the timber, I found myself at the base of a considerable hill, in possession of the enemy, and upon which they had a battery planted. As our line advanced, we received several discharges of grape and shell, but steadily pushed to the front.