8-inch columbiad, 1 7. 44 inch Blakely gun, 1 7 inch Brooks 1 6. 4 inch Brace, 3 smooth-bore 42 pounders rifles, 1 18-pounder rifle, 120-pounder Parrall 31 pieces of heavy artillery, besides 13 pieces of light artillery, city front. These batteries were divided into three commands, as follows; The upper batteries, or those immediately on the city front, were under charge of Major F. N. Ogden, Eighth Louisiana Artillery Battalion, to whose command was attached Captain S. C. Bain's company of Vaiden Light Artillery. The Lowe batteries were in charge of the First Louisiana Artillery, under Liet. Colonel D. Beltzhoover. A portion of the Twenty-THIRD Louisiana Volunteers was joined to Lieutenant-Colonel Beltzhoover's command.

On the evening of May 18, the investment commenced in rear of the city. A t the same time five of the enemy's gunboats came up from below, and took up a position in the river just our of range of our guns, while the river above and in front of the city was guarded by three gunboats, thus completing the investment. On the evening of the 19th, the enemy's sharpshooters, having obtained possession of our abandoned line of outer works, opened a fire upon, the upper four-gun water battery, commanded by Major F. W. Hoadle, first Tennessee Artillery, thus rendering the battery temporarily untenable. Advantage was taken of the darkness of the night to construct traverses on the flank and in rear of the guns of this battery, and at daylight there was ample protection afforded to the men while at the guns. The enemy also commenced feeling our batteries, and opened a heavy fire from three of his iron-clads upon Captain. Caper's 10-inch columbiad, on the left of my line. Their iron-clads also shelled the lower batteries at long range.

On the 22, d at 9 a/m/ four iron-clads and one wooden gunboat engaged the lower batteries, and after an engagement of one hour and a half were repulsed. Two of the iron-clads were seriously damaged. This engagement was creditable to the First Louisiana Artillery, who with then guns, mostly os small caliber, contested successfully against thirty-two heavy guns of the enemy. Our casualties were only 2 wounded during the fight; one 10-inch columbiad and the 18-pounder rifled gun were temporarily disabled. The Blakely gun burst at the muzzle.

On the 23rd, eleven of the light pieces on the river front were ordered to the rear, and were there fought by detachments from my command during the remainder of the siege.

From the 24th, to the 26th mortars kept us a steady fire upon the city and batteries. The 8 -inch siege howitzer, one smooth-bore 432-pounder, the 20-pounder Parrot, and the Whitworth gun were removed to the rear with their detachments.

Soon after daylight on the morning of the 27th, the enemy's iron-clad gunboat Cincinnati, mounting fourteen guns, was observed approaching our upper batteries, while four iron-clads approached the lower batteries.

22 R R-VOL XXIV, PT. II