pipe. Wheel-rope and wheel also cut away, and otherwise cut up. She drifted down opposite our lower picket station, where the gunboat Tuscumbia, Captain Shirk, took her in tow, and landed her just above the crevasse on this shore. I have ordered all the materials and whatever needed for her repairs; and Captain Conway reports to me that he will move to-morrow night by the Warrenton batteries, and join the fleet at Carthage.

The Henry Clay, Captain Rider, became disabled, and was in a sinking condition soon after coming within range of the upper batteries. She had in tow a barge with some soldiers on, which was cast loose and floated down stream, and is supposed to be safe. The boat itself took fire and burned to the water's edge, and floated down stream a burning mass. I was, in person, in a boat out at Bigg's picket station, and my boat picked up the pilot, Taylor, floating near the burning wreck. He told a wonderful story, by no means consistent in all its parts, but asserted positively that every human being had left the boat, save himself, before he discovered her on fire. Several of the crew have some in, from I gather the following particulars: The boat had two yawls, which received on board the crew and hands, with certain exceptions, noted below, which yawls pushed off and landed at De Soto, where they landed and hid behind and old levee during the cannonade. After it had ceased, they began to make their way through the submerged swamps toward our camp, and all on board the yawls have reached camp, except the barkeeper and chambermaid (white) and one deck-hand, named Henry, also a white man.

First yawl; Luke, a white man, has come in; John a white man, has come in; Henry, barkeeper, and chambermaid landed at De Soto, not heard of since; William Gould, one black man, saved.

SECOND yawl: John Kennedy, Thompson Rowley, Jack Cook, all white men; one white boy, three blacks; all safe.

Captain Rider was last seen, by John Kennedy, on the hurricane deck, but is unaccounted for. Watchman Metz, same as Captain Rider. The boat's carpenter and the SECOND cook are represented to have gone into the hold and closed the hatches, in which case they are surely lost. This is the most accurate account I can obtain of their fate.

There was manifestly great consternation and confusion on board all the time.

W. T. SHERMAN.

CAMP near Vicksburg, April 19, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel John A. RAWLINS,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Milliken's:

SIR: Inclosed I send a report from General Steele. I think the Deer Creek country has been afflicted enough to make them, in the future, dread the Yankees' visit, and would, therefore, request that General Steele be required to destroy the grist-mill which he describes, and return to his camp. Extra steamers might be sent him to bring off any extra stock or forage he may have collected, or, if you desire to afflict that region more, you might order him to go up the river a little higher and visit William's Bayou.

I observe by the papers they are uneasy about the Hushpuckanaw or Sunflower. Some maps represent Williams' Bayou as the head of the Sunflower, but mine makes the Sunflower a large river rising in the Mississippi, about 10 miles below the Yazoo Pass. If you still desire