the order the boats then lay, the rearmost boat to take the lead downstream, and turn as the bayous and pockets of the stream might afford facility. The river was exceedingly narrow and tortuous, the bottom covered with logs and snags, and the banks full of drift, rendering the navigation most difficult and dangerous. In the course of the night I succeeded in getting the fleet turned, and, April 11, got fairly under way at 6.30 a. m., and arrived at Coushatta Chute at 8 p. m., meeting but trifling resistance from the enemy. Here I received the following written order:

ON THE ROAD, April 10, 1864.

Brigadier General KILBY SMITH,

Commanding Division, Seventeenth Army Corps:

The general commanding directs that you return immediately to Grand Ecore with supply steamers and your entire command. Please report to him upon your arrival.

By command of Major-General Banks:

GEO. B. DRAKE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

April 12, sailed at 7 a. m. This day the navigation was exceedingly difficult, and almost all of the transport were in a crippled condition, rudders unshipped and wheels broken. I felt it necessary to separate the fleet as much as possible to avoid collisions in turning the bends. Keeping the troops transport under my eye and control, the admiral having proceed me in the lead, I kept to the rear of the fleet. At 12 m. the enemy began to appear in considerable numbers, and, firing on the Meteor, killed 1 man. Desultory firing was kept up continuously until, at 4 o'clock, the Hastings went under the bank on the south side of the river, near Pleasant Hill Landing, to repair wheel, which had become unserviceable; the Alice Vivian, a boat that had reported the day before, lying midway in the stream, fast aground. The black Hawk towing the gun-boat Osage. The Vivian signaled for help. I ordered the Clara Bell to report to her. Clara Bell failing to move her the Emerald was ordered to her. About this time the Rob Roy ran astern of the Black Hawk, and the enemy, a brigade about 1,200 strong, with four field pieces, commanded by General Green, of Texas, formed upon the bank, putting their pieces in battery within point-blank range of the Hastings, the nearest boat. The Neosho* and Lexington (gun-boats) at this time were lying at the opposite bank, half a mile up. I ordered the Hastings to cast off, and just as we got under way the battery opened us, the first shot falling a little short, the others over us; their practice was defective. Getting a good position upon the opposite shore I opened up them with one section of Lieutenant Tiemeyer's battery, one gun of which was mounted upon the hurricane deck of the emerald, the siege guns, which were upon the forecastle of the Rob Roy, and the howitzer from the hurricane deck of the Black Hawk, the latter admirably handled by Colonel Abert, of General Banks' staff. We killed their battery horses and they changed position repeatedly, moving their guns up hand. Meanville their sharpshooters had deployed up the river, and sheltered behind the cottonwoods that lined the banks immediately opposite the boats, from whence they poured in an incessant fire. My soldiers were all upon the hurricane decks, protected by cotton

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* In another copy this appears as Osage.

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