[Inclosure.]

DEMOPOLIS, ALA., August 1, 1863.

MAJOR: In consequence of the death of my gallant and lamented DIVISION commander, major General John S. Bowen, I respectfully beg leave to submit to you the following report of the part taken by the First Brigade(Missouri Volunteers)Broven's DIVISION, composed of the following-named infantry regiments, to wit: The First Missouri Infantry; the Sixth Missouri Infantry; Captain [Henry] Guibor's battery; Captain [John C] Landis' battery, under command of Lieutenant [John M.]Langan, and the Wade Battery, under Lieutenant [Richard C.]Walsh, in the battles of Baker's Creek and Big Black, and during the siege of Vicksburg. The brigade bivouacked near the battle-field of Baker's Creek on the night of May 15 last, and immediately threw forward to the distance of over 100 yards a strong line of pickets, and early on the morning of the 16th instant changed position to the front and left of the first line, and threw forward far in advance of the battle line five companies of skirmishers: Captain [Martin] Buker's company (D), first Missouri, captain [T. B.]Wilson's company (G.), SECOND Missouri; Captain [Patrick] Canniff's company (F.), FIFTH Missouri, captain [w. C.]Adams' COMPANY (G), THIRD Missouri, and Captain [Jepthah] Duncan's company (E.), sixth Missouri, all under command of Lieutenant Colonel F. L. Hubbell, of the THIRD Missouri Infantry. Our cavalry soon engaged the enemy a mile of more on front of this brigade, and slowly retired to the rear through my line. Soon after this line of the enemy appeared about 1,200 yards in my front, when Lieutenant Langan and Lieutenant Walsh opened on them and drove them from the field, and immediately the enemy brought forward a battery, and replied lively to our batteries, disabling one of Lieutenant Langan's 12 pounder guns and killing 4 men by the explosion of one shell, and very soon afterward disabling the other 12 pounder gun. Both these disabled guns were carried safely from the field. The enemy's battery soon withdrew, and we remained in the same position unengaged with the enemy until about or after 1 p. m., when I and re-enforce Brigadier-General [S. D.]Lee, on the left of Major-General Stevenson's line. I moved in quick and double-quick time toward the designated line, but before arriving there I received another order to move to Major-General Stevenson's right, and, moving by file right, I attempted to gain that portion of his line; but in consequence of his troops giving way, and the exposure of my line moving by the left flank to the fire of the enemy rapidly advancing, I immediately on the left, by file into line, formed the brigade in line of battle under a heavy fire, resting the right of the FIFTH Infantry on the left to General Cumming's brigade, which had been giving way, but had apparently rallied behind a cut in the road near Captain [James F.]Waddell's battery, then rapidly firing, and moving to the left of my line to place the SECOND Missouri Infantry in position. And before having completed this I received information from Captain [R. L.]Maupin, acting on my staff, that the right of the brigade was falling back, and hastening thither I found that this brigade on my right had almost wholly disappeared, and that the enemy had captured Captain Waddell's battery and were occupying the ground and road just previously occupied by this brigade of Major-General Stevenson's DIVISION, and were firing a most destructive enfilading fire into the brigade from right to left, and that in consequence of