At 8 p. m. no trains arrived. The telegraph is in full operation. Major Morgan, of the One hundred and seventy-sixth New York, is ordered to burn the Thibodeaux Bridge, and to retreat to La Fourche Crossing. General Emory orders that if we do not have time to get everything off, to destroy rather than leave it.

I had crossed my caissons, forge, and battery wagons, and about 15 of my horses. Colonel Cahill ordered all of my horses that were not leaded up, to retreat to Raceland Station, via the Bayou road. The panic increased; the colonel was anxious for my battery. I told him I could manage that well enough, because, if we were too hard pressed, I could retreat to Raceland Station. He ordered me to retreat at once. I ordered out of the field my two pieces, my own horses being loaded ink the cars. I occupied a seat on one of the libre chests, and proceeded with the pieces to the station, where I arrived about two hours before Colonel Cahill, who, it seems, had set out on foot at the time I left, leaving his aides to manage the retreat. Up to this time not a should of our own forces had seen or heard of an enemy. On our arrival at the station, I found that all the trains had gone forward to La Fourche Crossing, which, by the railroad, is 9 1/2 miles distant and 12 by the Bayou road. At 7 a. m. of the 25th, the trains began to arrive with the soldiers, stores, and baggage from the Crossing. At the time I left, the railroad bridge had been fired and had just commenced to burn. Up to the time the trains left, no enemy had been seen. What I deplore more than all else is the destruction of the brass pieces; the 18-pounder and the 12-pounder howitzers were spiked and thrown into the bayou, and the 6-pounder had its trunnions knocked off, and was spiked and its carriage burned.

At about 10 p. m. of the 24th, the colonel's aides seemed to be possessed with the besom of destruction. My horses that were in the cars were turned out loose, and my harness and saddles were thrown promiscuously on the platform, and every infantry officer was making a grab for a saddle and a horse. I had, fortunately, left force enough to look after my property, who made a timely discovery enough to take care of it before it was lost. My private horses had been appropriated, and it was with difficulty that my sergeant could make the possessors give them up. The horses were gathered up, harnessed and saddled, and sent by the Bayou road to the station. Before Major Morgan fell back from Thibodeaux, Lieutenant Southworth sent up to the depot one of his pieces and his two caissons; as soon as they arrived, the colonel's aides ordered all the ammunition in the chests to be thrown into the bayou, amounting to 350 rounds, and personally carried out the order, and then ordered the pieces, with the two caissons in that condition, to proceed by the Bayou road to the station, without a round of ammunition to defend itself.

My battery was ordered to this place, where I have been ever since; my horses stand hitched to their pieces; the men sleep by them every night. I inclose you a rough draught of the field of action*

I find that it is quiet a detriment to have fine battery horses. I have to exercise the utmost vigilance to keep them from being stolen. The whole bridge seem to be of the opinion that I can furnish all of the officers with saddle-horses and saddles. I am even ordered to furnish adjutants and officers of the day with horses to ride. It has become a source of annoyance to me; perhaps it is all right.

If I venture my own views, general, with reference to our "retreat,"