bales, bales of hay, and sacks of oats, sufficient barricade to rifle-balls, enabling them to mark the enemy with deadly aim. After the fight commenced the gun-boat Neosho, that had been grounded above, rounded the point and getting into position delivered canister from her heavy guns with great effect. The Lexington, Neosho, Numbers 13, and Hindman were not idle, and the bank for 2 miles up and down was swept with grape and canister. Before sundown we had silenced the enemy's batteries, and shortly after they fled from the field, leaving many dead, among them General Green, who has his head blown off, and who had behaved with great gallantry throughout the fight. Fortunately I had ordered all the transports below, save the Clara Bell, Black Hawk, Emerald, the Vivian (aground as before stated), and the Rob roy. My loss therefore is incredibly small. Just at dark, under the direction of the admiral, who below communicated with me by the dispatch-boat Gazelle, I ordered the transport down, and as time, particularly at night, was precious to me, and my responsibilities as to the supplies, ordnance, and ordnance stores in the fleet great, I did not deem it proper to gather up the wounded, but left them with the dead to the care of the enemy, who I knew would be upon the ground after our departure. I kept the fleet under way till a. m., when, from the darkness and grounding of boats, I ordered the fleet tied up.

April 13, the John Warner got around in the middle of the stream and held the fleet all day. About 12 m. the enemy's forces, under Liddell, upon the north bank of the river, planted their battery, 6-pounder field pieces, upon a height commanding the fleet, and began to annoy us. The admiral had gone below, and communicating with Captain Selfridge, of the gun-boat Osage, i went with him to a point below the fleet, from which he drove the enemy from position, as we supposed; at all events we silenced their batteries. At this time the fleet had become crowded close together, under the bluff of the south shore, wherefrom they might be easily fired, and a vast deal of loose powder and fixed ammunition formed the cargo of many boats. It was of the last importance to separate the fleet, therefore I ordered the Sioux City, with Colonel Humphrey's regiment on board, to lead the way and the sound transport to follow - that is, those I did need for tow-boats; for at that time many of the fleet were unmanageable from breaking of machinery. The Rob Roy was laden with the siege guns and ammunition, a most valuable cargo, under charge of Major Houston, of General Banks' staff. Her rudder being broken and the boat being unmanageable, as represented by her officers, I ordered the Clara Bell, a light side-wheel steamer, without cargo, to take her in tow. Both the Sioux City and the Clara Bell, as they passed the point, were struck, but neither damaged, nor were there any lives lost. These, I believe, were the only boats fired into. The Osage went round the point, and the Hindman took her place. All that day and all night I labored to get the John Warner off; lightened her cargo and tugged at her with the Iberville, Meteor, Rob Roy, and such other boats as had power. At daylight of the 14th, I ordered the balance of the fleet down, leaving the John Warner in charge of the Hindman. Getting the boats to Campti, and there meeting General A. J. Smith, with a force, I went back for the Warner, and was glad to meet her a mile or two from Campti. The Hindman had got her off.

April 15, lay all by the Warner and Iberville, that were alternately on ground and swinging at the bars, and at midnight