the detachment, with the guns, ammunition,&c., were embarked, and reached the First Infantry camp this morning.

I wish to say that I highly appreciate the efforts of Captain W. Kossak, of the Volunteer Engineers, whose strong casemates, could they have been tested, would have shown that they were skillfully planned, and executed with great judgment and labor.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. D. PHILLIPS,

Captain First Infantry.

HDQRS. FOURTH DIV., SIXTEENTH A. C., April 22, 1863.

Colonel BRYANT:

COLONEL: With his you will receive a reply from General Hurlbut to the flag of truce,* and further instructions in regard to your movements. Nothing has been heard from General [W. S.] Smith, and the probability is that he was obstructed by the same cause which prevented your crossing the Coldwater-high water. It is not intended that you cross the Coldwater or attack Chalmers at the crossing, unless you hear Smith's guns, as indicated in General Hurlbut's communication. I regret exceedingly that any part of your command should be guilty of such a flagrant act of vandalism as the burning of a village, which will tend to bring discredit on our troops, and was in direct violation of your orders, and I assure you the guilty parties will meet with due punishment.

Very respectfully, yours,
J. G. LAUMAN.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, Opelousas, La., April 23, 1863.

Major-General GRANT, Comdg. Forces on the Upper Mississippi:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatches, dated at Headquarters, before Vicksburg, March 23, 1863, on the 21st, by the hand of Lieutenant [Joseph F.] Tenney, of General Augur's DIVISION, at Baton Rouge. On April 10, Mr. Gabaudan, private secretary of Admiral Farragut, commanding the Hartford, at the mouth of Red River, reported at my headquarters at Brashear, and gave me verbally substance of your dispatches, which he said he had read, but did not bring with him in the dangerous passage which he was compelled to make of the batteries of Port Hudson.

The information received by Mr. Gabaudan differs somewhat from your dispatches. I understand from him that it was your intention to send a force by the way of Lake Providence and the Black River, passing through the intermediate bayous, to the mouth of Black River on the Red River, and that force would probably reach the Red River by May 1 proximo, to co-operate with my command against Port Hudson.

Stimulated by this report and cheering prospect of assistance, we pushed with vigor the expedition upon which we were then engaged. Our success has been complete. We have utterly destroyed the army and navy of this part of the Confederacy, and made it impossible for the enemy to reorganize his forces for some months to come. We

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*See Hurlbut to Chalmers, p. 219.

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