HEADQUARTERS LEE'S BRIGADE,
May 22, 1863.

GENERAL: I send you flag taken by Texas, under the lead of our gallant Lieutenant-Colonel Pettus, twentieth Alabama Regiment. It was as gallant, an act as I have ever seen during the war. I have pledged myself to give it it its captors. I beg that you and General Pemberton will bear me out.

I send this by the gallant Lieutenant Martin, who was been wounded.

Your obedient servant,

STEPHEN D. LEE.

Brigadier-General.

General STEVENSON.

[Indorsement.]

Respectfully forwarded, with the request that you will permit the colors be retained by the captor.

C. L. STEVENSON,

Major-General, commanding.

HDQRS. SECOND BRIGADE, Stevenson'S DIVISION.

Demopolis, ALA.

July 25, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following reported of the part taken in our operations during the siege of Vicksburg by the troops under my command, consisting of the Twentieth Alabama Regiment, colonel I. W. Garrott; Twenty-THIRD Alabama, colonel F. K. Beck, THIRTIETH Alabama, colonel C. M. Shelley; Thirty-first Alabama Regiment, lieutenant Colonel T. M. Arrington, forty-SIXTH Alabama REGIMENT, captain George E. Brewer; Waul's Texas Legion, colonel T. N. Waul; Waddell's battery, Captain J. W. Waddell Drews battery, lieut. W. J. Duncan, the Hudson Battery, lieutenant Captain Haynes, company First Louisiana Artillery, and a section of the Vaiden Artillery. Lieutenant Collins:

On the morning of May 17, our works at Big Black having been carried by the enemy, our army was ordered to retire to our intrenchments around Vicksburg. My brigade was ordered to cover the retreat across the river after the works were carried, and was accordingly posted along the banks for that purpose, where it remained until relieved by Baldwin'; s brigade, smith's DIVISION, which brought up the rear.

By an error in the transmission of an order, the Twenty-THIRD Alabama Regiment, colonel F. K. Beck, Remained at the brigade after Baldwin's brigade had been withdrawn, and gallantly engaged the enemy during the entire day, leaving the position about midnight and joining the brigade at Vicksburg.

The city of Vicksburg was invested on May 18, the enemy having regularly surrounded it and commenced their parallel approaches. The position occupied by my brigade was immediately to the right of the railroad, with its left resting on that road. All the knolls in front of my line were at once seized by the enemy and batteries erected thereon for their artillery, their sharpshooters in the men time keeping up a continuos and annoying fire.

On May 19,20 and 21, the enemy''s forces were massed under cover of their artillery and sharpshooters' fire, in the ravine a few hundred yards in front of our lines.