duration, the enemy, notwithstanding his lines had been trebled by re-enforcement, was driven from his positions and forced to take refuge in his innermost works in and around the town. The troops of my command, having nearly exhausted their ammunition in the heavy fighting through the day, were withheld from immediate pursuit, and the delay in procuring the necessary supplies of ammunition forced us to close the fight for the day. My troops were withdrawn for cover and laid on their arms during the night in the position from which the enemy had been driven.

About 4 o'clock on the morning of the 4th three batteries of my command were placed in position and opened fire upon the town, under the immediate orders of the major-general commanding. About daylight orders were received to advance my whole line. Int he execution of this order a delay was occasioned by the illness of Brigadier-General Hebert, commanding a division. He was necessarily relieved from duty. The command devolved upon Brigadier-General Green, who moved forward as soon as he could make the necessary disposition of his troops.

It was after 9 o'clock when my line became generally and furiously engaged with the enemy in his innermost and most formidable works, from which his infantry and artillery could jointly operate against my troops. My men pressed forward upon the enemy, and with heavy loss succeeded in getting into his works, having driven him from them, capturing more than forty pieces of artillery and forcing him to take refuge in the houses of the town and in every place that would afford protection from our galling fire. He was followed and driven from house to house with great slaughter. In the town were batteries in mask, supported by heavy reserves, behind which the retreating enemy took shelter, and which opened upon our troops a most destructive fire at short range. My men held their positions most gallantly, returning the fire of the enemy with great spirit until portions of them exhausted their ammunition and were compelled to retire. This necessitated the withdrawal of the whole line, which was done under a withering fire. The attack was not resumed and we fell back to our supply train, the men being almost exhausted from exertion and want of food and water. General villepigeue's brigade moved over to our assistance but did not become engaged, as the enemy was too badly cut up to follow us. We fell back, in order to obtain water, some 6 miles from Corinth, where we bivouacked for the night, bringing off all of our artillery and arms save one rifled pieces, which had been inadvertently driven into the enemy's line while going into battery before daylight in the morning and had been left. We brought off also the two guns captured at the outer line of fortifications on the 3d.

It is impossible for me to do justice to the courage of my troops in these engagements, nor can I discriminate between officers or commands where all behaved so nobly. This is the less necessary, as the operations of my command were under the immediate observation of the major-general commanding.

For minute details of the actions, and particularly of the artillery, of the 3rd and 4th instant, as well as for instances of personal and distinguished gallantry, I beg leave to refer the major-general commanding to the reports of the commanding officers, herewith inclosed.

On the morning of the 5th instant we resumed the march in the direction of Pocahontas, my command moving by divisions, Maury's in