[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS Fifteenth ARMY CORPS, Walnut Hills, MISS., June 8, 1863.

In forwarding this report of General Tuttle, I heartily sanction and indorse his specific recommendation that Captain John T. Bowen, of Company A, Forty-seventh Illinois, be mustered out of service, and Sergt. John Watts, of same company, be commissioned as captain. Moments such as existed when General Mower's brigade charged in column across the exposed ridge develop the true soldierly qualities, which the sergeant is reported to have signally displayed at the expense of his captain.

General Tuttle's DIVISION is entitled to special notice for the orderly behavior of his men on the march and the promptness with which all details were made and orders executed. His brigadier-generals, Buckland, Mower, and Matthies, were always noticed by me during the march and events recorded by General Tuttle, and I commend them all for the faithful and earnest discharge of their important duties. I feel assured that honors and labor enough await them in the events still to occur before this campaign closes.

W. T. SHERMAN,
Major-General, Commanding.

Numbers 4. Report of Brigadier General Ralph P. Buckland, U. S. Army, commanding First Brigade, including operations May 2-22. HDQRS. 1ST BRIGADE, 3rd DIVISION, 15TH ARMY CORPS, near Vicksburg, MISS., June 8, 1863.

SIR: In pursuance of directions from DIVISION headquarters, I have the honor to submit the following report of this brigade from the 2nd to the 22nd of May, inclusive:

As this brigade was not separated from the DIVISION in the march from Duckport to Jackson, MISS, it is not deemed necessary to give in detail each day's march.

We commenced our march from Duckport at 10 a. m. May 2, with two teams to the regiment, taking five days' rations in haversacks and teams, and 100 rounds of ammunition per man in cartouch-boxes and teams, leaving tents, baggage, and all but very few cooking utensils behind. We reached Hard Times and crossed over to Grand Gulf on the 7th, but were not able to cross our teams, which contained all the rations we had.

During the night word was sent to me that the commissary was prepared to issue rations of hard bread, &c., but when applied for early in the morning all the hard bread had been issued to the other brigades, reserving none for mine. Notwithstanding this unjustifiable conduct of the commissary, when the command "forward" was given, every man was in his place, and my brigade moved promptly forward, without transportation and with empty haversacks, not knowing where the next meal was to come from. Other troops having gone before us, it was difficult to procure provisions on the road. Every effort was made to supply the deficiency, but many of the officers and men suffered extreme hunger.

We encamped that night at Willow Springs, where we remained