Hill in force I ordered Colonel Debray to push forward his batteries and trains with dispatch, which was done. Colonel Debray, with his regiment, unexpectedly encountered the enemy before he reached Pleasant Hill and had a brisk skirmish with them, which resulted in a loss to him of 4 or 5 wounded. At the same time General Ragby, with his cavalry command, was skirmishing with the enemy who were advancing on the Natchitoches road. On the morning of the 3rd, I offered battle to the enemy at Pleasant Hill, which was not accepted by him,a nd leaving the cavalry in the front I withdrew the infantry to Mansfield, which place they reached on the 5th. On the 6th, Brigadier-General Major's brigade of cavalry, Hardeman's and Waller's regiments, of Bagby's brigade of cavarly, and Buchel's regiment of cavalry reached Mansfield, having taken the road via Logansport, as directed by me on the night of the 2nd. On the morning of the 7th. I received information from Brigadier-General Major, commanding the cavalry advance and outposts at Pleasant Hill, that the enemy was advancing with a large force of all arms and was driving in our pickets. On receipt of this news I moved to the front in company with Major-General Green, and after verifying the fact that the advance was rather serious, leaving General Green in command in front I returned to Mansfield to make my arrangements for the following day, announcing my intention to department headquarters to fight a general engagement the next day if the nemy advanced in force, unless ordered positively not to do so.

Churchill's and Parsons' divisions of Arkansas and Missouri troops, numbering about 4,000 bayonets, were ordered to march at early dawn on the morning of the 8th from their camp, 20 miles dis tant, to Mansfield. These troops reached Shreveport on the evening of Marhc 24, and were reetained at that place until late in the evening of April 4, when they were ordered to march to Keachie, report to me, and await my orders at that point.

The infantry divisions of Major-General Walker and Brigadier-General Mouton were ordered on the night of the 7th to move at early dawn on the 8th, to a position about 3 miles below Mansfield, which had been selected by me on the previous day. The chief surgeon of the army (Surgeon McKelvey) was directed to make all necessary arangements in the village of Mansfield for the care of the wounded. The chief quartermaster and commissary (Major the wounded. The chief quartermaster and commissary (Major Sanders and Major Mason) were instructed to pursued their ordinary avocations and get up forage and supplies.

I beg leave to submit copies of the correspondence between myself and department headquarters between my arrival at Carroll Jones' and the morning of April 8. Arrangements were perfected to secure quiet and order among the wagon trains camped around Mansfield.

In the morning of the 8th, I moved down to the position selected for the troops. Walker's division occupied the right of the road, facing Pleasant Hill, Buchel's and Terrell's regiments of cavar4ly, under Brigadier-General Bee, on its right; Mouton's division on the left of the road, with Major's division of cavalry, consisting of his own and Bagby's brigades (dismounted), on Mouton's left. Debray's regiment of cavalry was held in the road a little to the rear. Haldeman's and Daniel's batteries were on the right in position with Walker's division, Cornay's and Nettles' with Mouton's division. McMahan's battery, which had been in the front with the cavalry