On the 7th, the division moved to and through Pleasant Hill, driving some of the enemy's cavalry before them. About 2 p. m. the Third Brigade, Colonel H. Robinson commanding, composed of the First Louisiana Cavalry, Major Badger, and Eighty-seventh Illinois Mounted Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Crebs, constituting the advance of the division, moved up the road toward Mansfield, and at Wilson's farm, 3 miles distant from Pleasant Hill, encountered the enemy in considerable force posted in the timber on the hill beyond a clearing, with their left protected by a ravine; a lesser hill, one-fourth mile in the enemy's front, was immediately occupied by us. The Eighty-seventh Illinois was at once dismounted and deployed to the right, the First Louisiana taking position on thee left and in reserve. Soon, however, the entire brigade was dismounted and moved to the front. A section of the howitzer battery, Sixth Missouri Cavalry, was put in position on the crest of the hill, and opened fire on the enemy. In the mean time the firing was heavy on both sides and the resistance of the enemy so decided that the First Brigade, Colonel Lucas, was hastened to Colonel Robinson's support. Just before it moved to take position, the enemy charged with great impetuosity our front and right flank, driving the Third Brigade about 100 yards, but the First Brigade, advancing immediately dismounted, united with the Third Brigade, and impetuously charging the enemy drove them in turn, breaking their lines and dislodging them from their original position. Aa pursuit was ordered and continued until near night-fall, the rebels being driven to Carroll's Mill, 10 miles beyond Pleasant Hill. At this point they opened upon us with four pieces of artillery, and were so strongly posted on the opposite side of a bayou or creek that it was impossible to dislodge them at the time and with the force we had. The division held this point and bivouacked on the field.

In the action at Wilson's farm we captured 23 prisoners, and killed and wounded a large number of the enemy.

Herewith I transmit schedule, marked A,* giving full lists of casualties in the command, showing a total of 11 enlisted men killed, 3 officers and 39 enlisted men wounded, and 9 enlisted men missing.

I also transmit, marked B, a sketch+ of the field and position of troops. From prisoners it was ascertained that the enemy had on the ground six regiments, in number about 3,000 men, a portion of Green's mounted force of Texans. The character of ground over which we fought was the thick pine woods of this region, and forbade the use of mounted men. In the action at Wilson's farm both officers and men behaved well, and had not the ammunition of a large proportion of the Eighty-seventh Illinois been entirely exhausted, the enemy could not even temporarily have driven them from their ground.

On the morning of the 8th, a brigade of the Fourth Division, Thirteenth Army Corps, Colonel Landram commanding, was reported to me to assist in the advance. The First Brigade of my division, Colonel T. J. Lucas commanding, was placed in the advance, and shortly after sunrise the command moved on the enemy. His resistance was strong, but he was quickly driven from his position. The advance continued steadily, but slowly, a regiment of the First Brigade, dismounted, moving as skirmishers before two regiments

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*Nominal list of casualties omitted.

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+Not found as an inclosure: but see p. 226.