arly having reported to me for duty, I caused two squadrons, under command of Captain Gunther, to patrol the town and prevent all irregularities, and I take pleasure in adding that this duty was successfully performed. The army was withdrawn to its last soldier with out confusion or accident.

From the crossing of the Washita until reaching the Saline bottom, on the evening of the 29th of April, nothing unusual occurred. During the afternoon of that day my rear guard was occasionally fired upon, but the march was not seriously molested. This firing, however, was sufficient to inform us that the enemy were following, and deeming it important to preserve for our own use the entire bottom, I directed Colonel Engelmann to leave on the crest of the hill one regiment from his brigade, which, with two squadrons Sixth Kansas Cavalry, Captain rogers commending, and one section of Vaughn's battery, was instructed to hold the bottom. Very shortly thereafter skirmishing began and was kept up until dark, the enemy appearing in such considerable force that I directed one regiment to be sent from Rice's brigade to assist in holding the hills. These demonstrations in our rear convinced me that with returning daylight we might expect an attack, and I made my dispositions accordingly, withdrawing my troops at 3 a.m. beyond effective artillery range from the hill. By this I not only contracted my lines, but covered my right flank with a small bayou, rendering any movements of the enemy from that direction impracticable, while on the left the bottom was more swampy and difficult of passage, if possible, than that on which my troops were posted, and over which our trains and artillery were being sent forward to the river. At daylight my advance was 2 1\2 miles from the river. The intervening country, naturally low and swampy, was now more than half covered with water, in consequence of heavy rains the day and night immediately preceding. There were yet 2 miles in length of train and artillery between me and the river, which must all cross before I could begin to withdraw. I had therefore to hold the position. At 5 a.m. skirmishing began in front, the Thirty-third Iowa being first engaged, afterward supported by the Fiftieth Indiana. Deeming this line too far advance, I ordered General Rice to form a new line about half a mile in the rear nearer the river and in the timber. Scarcely had the first line been withdrawn before the enemy attacked the second with skirmishers, mounted and partly dressed in our uniform. The better to conceal their purposes they drove in their advance a flock of sheep, leading our men to suppose that they were a forage party from our own army. This rude did not deceive us.

The first attack seemed principally directed against our right, which the enemy endeavored to turn, but the detachment of the Second Brigade and two companies of the Twenty-ninth Iowa had been sent across the bayou, otherwise called Toxie Creek, and foiled our left, held by the Fiftieth Indiana. The Thirty-third Iowa was sent thither by General rice, but the assault of the enemy was so heavy and persistent that our troops fell back some 250 yards. At this juncture the Twenty-seventh Wisconsin (Engelmann's brigade) was sent to the left. The Second Kansas Colored Infantry, of General Thayer's command, having reported to me, I sent it to report to General Rice on the right, and there it soon became engaged, and throughout the action bore itself with conspicuous gallantry. Soon

44 R R-VOL XXXIV, PT I