from our trenches. On the night of the 23rd, the Fourteenth Illinois was driven from the trenches, and the enemy captured the commanding officer (Lieutenant-Colonel Camp) and 5 men, killed 4 and wounded 5 of our men, besides capturing a number of our spades and picks. He held possession of a small portion of the line of our advanced trenches during the night and all day on the 24th, both the Thirty-THIRD Wisconsin at night drove him from there with a charge and a yell, and made him seek refuge behind his works, capturing twelve guns and a number of very ditch of his works, and the trench officer is of the opinion that a force could gave gone in without much difficulty. We lost on the nigh of the 24th 1 man killed and 1 wounded. Our works was very much advanced during the night.

The enemy on the night of the 23rd, had filled up the portion of the trenches he captured, and when this was retaken by the Thirty-THIRD Wisconsin, our working party, under command of Colonel Gresham, of the FIFTY-THIRD Indiana, cleaned it out and found one of our men and one of the enemy buried within it, who had bee killed in the fight on the nigh of the 23rd . Our working party were permitted to proceed on the nigh of the 25th without molestation, and expended our line of trench work considerably, as will be shown by the reports of our engineer officer. They were fired upon by the enemy from behind his works on the did to seriously interfered with the work. During our firing on the afternoon of the 25th, we dismounted one of the enemy's guns with a shot from our siege gun on the right, which is the only serious damage we know our firing to have done. For the gradual approaches we made upon the enemy's works from night to night and the amount of work we accomplished, I refer you to the report of Captain Freeman, our engineer officer; to Captain Comstock, engineer officer. Very respectfully,

J. G. LAUMAN,

Brigadier-General.

Lieutenant Colonel Walter, b. SCATES,

Assistant Adjutant -General.

HDQRS. FOURTH DIVISION, SIXTEENTH ARMY CROPS,
Near Vicksburg June 27, 1863.

COLONEL: From our officer of the trenches we learn that our working party opened the trenches heretofore constructed, of about 280 yards, to an average width of 6 feet, constructed new trenches about 100 yards, 2 feet deep and about 2. 1/2 feet wide, making the work continuous from the Hall's Ferry road to the right, in front of the large rebel works.

Owing to the deficiency in picks, the work was not forwarded as much as desired. An approach to the rebel work was commenced and put in condition to be prosecuted during the day.

The casualties of yesterday and last nighty, as far as ascertained to this time, were 3 men wounded(one fatally).

Very respectfully,

J. G. LAUMAN,

Brigadier-General.

Lieutenant Colonel WALTER B. SCATES.

Assistant Adjutant-General.

19 R R-VOL XXIV, pt. II