Shortly after the commencement of the general engagement, the rebels brought a battery of four to bear upon the First brigade of General Hovey's division, and were inflicting serious punishment with it. Having stationed it upon a very formidable point on a commanding ridge, General McGuiness ordered it charged. The Eleventh Indiana and Twenty-ninth Wisconsin being in front, had the hazardous task assigned them. They marched cautiously up a high slope to within seventy-five yards of the guns, and then made a dash at the pieces. The rebel gunners performed their duty manfully, standing by their guns till they were driven away with bayonets or clubbed with muskets. The Eleventh and Twenty-ninth were not to be driven back, however, or denied the object for which they started. As one of the men said afterward: "They were told to take the guns and they were bound to do it, or lose every man among them." About two minutes after this, the Forty-sixth Indiana made a charge upon a battery of four guns, a short distance from the scene of the first capture, and in one gallant dash took it, and every man belonging to it. The rebels made a desperate effort to recapture those batteries, but did not succeed. Our men, when subsequently compelled to fall back on the left, spiked all the guns which they could not get

away.

From statements made by prisoners and citizens, I think a just estimate of the rebel force will place the figures at thirty thousand. Pemberton was in the field in person. The confederate troops were from Georgia, South-Carolina, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Missouri. Bowen's command, which we whipped at Port Gibson, was there. A large portion of it was captured, among them fifty men and a captain from Gates's regiment of dismounted cavalry. The rebels concentrated three fourths of their men upon three divisions of our army, those of Logan, Hovey, and Quinby, so that they had really about seven thousand men more than we had in the engagement.

The result of to-day's fight was a complete victory for General Grant's forces, and the total rout and demoralization of the rebel army. Our loss will reach three thousand in killed, wounded, and prisoners. During the early part of the engagement the rebels carried off all their wounded. From the number of their dead found upon the field, and of wounded who fell into our hands while they were falling back, it is fair to say that they lost three thousand in killed and wounded. We took about two thousand prisoners and upward of twenty pieces of artillery during the day.

There were many instances of heroism in the battle to-day, which ought to entitle the actors to the admiration of the country, and embalm their memories in the hearts of every patriot. Lieutenant Perry, of the Forty-seventh Indiana, was with his company under the hottest fire of the engagement. His regiment occupied such a position that his command was very much exposed and was suffering dreadfully. One of his

comrades suggested to him that he ought to avail himself of a little cover immediately in his rear. Perry looked at him calmly but resolutely, and said: "No, sir. The Forty-seventh never gives back an inch." A moment afterward he was shot through the heart and expired without a groan. Two of his men, on seeing him fall, wept like children.

The Lieutenant-Colonel of the Tenth Missouri was shot through the heart while waving his sword to urge his men forward to a charge, which they executed with splendid success.

An officer was sent to General Logan to inquire how the contest was going in his front. Logan sent back word: "Tell General Grant that my division cannot be whipped by all the rebels this side of hell. We are going ahead, and won't stop till we get orders."

When our left was giving way before the overwhelming force of the enemy a few men became panic-stricken, and it was feared the contagion would spread. The Colonel of the Twenty-fourth Indiana rode to the rear, having received a wound in the hip. He rallied the terror-stricken by a few words of encouragement: "Don't be discouraged, men. They are driving us now, but we'll have them whipped in an hour. We are taking Vicksburgh to-day, boys, and if you all do your duty it's bound to fall."

On the rebel side an instance of valor occurred, in the conduct of Captain Riddle, of a Mississippi battery, who remained by the side of his guns after all his horses had been shot, and his comrades killed, wounded, or routed. He staid at his post, fighting against an infantry charge with a revolver, until pierced by half a dozen bullets.

In the battle of to-day the rebels did not depart from their uniform practice of barbarity to our wounded. In more than twenty instances they bayoneted, clubbed, or shot our wounded who had fallen into their hands. I saw two or three men dead upon the field, who had been shot in the ranks and afterward run through the breast or abdomen with a bayonet, while found lying upon the ground or leaning against a tree. Several of our officers and men were witnesses to these inhuman acts. They saw their comrades butchered, but dare not remonstrate lest they themselves should share the same fate. On one occasion a regiment of rebels ran their bayonets through six of our wounded, after an unsuccessful charge on one of our batteries.

The Twenty-fourth Iowa is called a Methodist regiment. The colonel and several of the captains are Methodist preachers, and a majority of the soldiers are members of the Methodist Church. They did some of the best fighting of the day, yesterday. They went into the battle full of enthusiasm, and not one of them flinched during the engagement. Their major was wounded late in the day. He walked from the field, and, on his way to the hospital, captured a stalwart confederate, and compelled him to carry him on his back to the Provost-Marshal's headquarters. It was a laughable sight to see Major Wright riding

Doc. 193.

BATTLE OF BLACK RIVER, MISS.

BRIDGE ACROSS BIG BLACK, May 17, 1863. THE battle of Big Black bridge was fought on Sunday, the seventeenth, the day after the battle of Champion's Hill. In this spirited engagement only the Thirteenth army corps was engaged. It is superfluous to add that the troops compris ing this corps fought as they always do, excellently well. In the morning, after a night's bivouac on the hill overlooking the village of Edwards's Station, the column, with McClernand at its head, moved toward Black River bridge. The citizens who were questioned on the subject said the position was most strongly fortified at the crossing, and we naturally thought the enemy would make stubborn resistance there. We were not surprised, therefore, to learn that our advanceguard was fired upon by the rebel pickets as the column moved toward the river.

The country between Edwards's Station and the bridge loses that hilly and broken character which distinguishes the region further east, and spreads out into a broad and fertile plain, over which we moved rapidly. There were no commanding hills whence they could pour a deadly fire into our ranks; but there were numerous patches of forest, under the cover and from the edge of which they could easily enfilade the open fields by the road-side. There was such a one a mile east of the intrenchments where the main picket-guard was stationed. Here determined resistance was first made.

General Carr's division had the extreme advance of the column, and opened and ended the engagement. Hastily deploying a heavy line of skirmishers to the right of the road, backed up by the two brigades of Carr's division in line of battle behind it, with General Osterhaus's division on the left of the road similarly disposed, General McClernand gave the order to advance. Soon in the depths of the thick forest the skirmishers of both armies were hotly engaged, while batteries of artillery, planted on the right and left of the road, poured shot and shell into the fort most furiously. The guns in the intrenchments replied with vigor and spirit. Almost the first shot dropped in the caisson belonging to Foster's Wisconsin battery and exploded its contents, slightly wounding General Osterhaus and Captain Foster, of the battery, and very seriously injuring two gunners. General Osterhaus being thus disabled, the command of his division was temporarily given to Brigadier-General A. L. Lee.

After skirmishing had continued for an hour, during which the enemy gave way and sought the cover of his intrenchments, the order was given to the several brigade commanders on the right to advance and charge the enemy's works. The order was received with cheers and shouts, and the Twenty-first, Twenty-second, Twentythird Iowa, and Eleventh Wisconsin, General Lawler's brigade, were the first to announce themselves in readiness. The order "forward" was given, and steadily and splendidly the brave boys moved up to the assault. The enemy crouched down behind the breastworks. A portion of them, stationed in a curtain on the right of the fort, whence they were able to get a cross-fire upon the column, reserved their volley until we were within easy musket-range of the intrenchments, when they swept the advancing line with their terrible fire. The brave boys lost in that fearful volley one hundred and fifty men; yet they faltered not, nor turned their steps backward. They waded the bayou, delivering their fire as they reached the other bank, and rushed upon the enemy with fixed bayonets. So quickly was all this accomplished, that the enemy had not time to reload their guns, and was forced to surrender.

The battle was ended, and the fort, with three thousand prisoners, eighteen pieces of artillerysome of them captured from ourselves, and bearing appropriate inscriptions- several thousand stand of arms, and a large supply of corn and commissary stores, fell into our hands.

The enemy had, earlier in the day, out of the hulls of three steamboats, constructed a bridge, over which he had passed the main body of his army. As the charge was made, and it became evident that we should capture the position, they burned this bridge and also the railroad bridge across the river just above.

In the afternoon several attempts were made to cross the river, but the sharp-shooters lined the bluffs beyond and entirely prevented it. Later, the main body of sharp-shooters were dispersed by our artillery. It was not, however, safe to

stand upon the bank, or cross the open field east of the bridge, until after dark, when the enemy withdrew altogether.

Doc. 194.

CAPTURE OF HAINES'S BLUFF. ACTING ADMIRAL PORTER'S REPORT.

inch rifled guns, with ammunition enough to last a long siege.

As the gun-carriages might again fall into the hands of the enemy, I had them burnt, blew up the magazine, and destroyed the works generally. I also burnt up the encampments, which were permanently and remarkably well constructed, looking as if the rebels intended to stay for some time.

These works and encampments covered many acres of ground, and the fortifications and the a mile and a quarter.

ON the morning of the fifteenth I came over to the Yazoo to be ready to cooperate with General Grant. Leaving two of the iron-clads at Red River, one at Grand Gulf, one at Carthage, three at Warrenton, and two on the Yazoo, left me a small force; still I disposed of them to the best advantage.

On the eighteenth, at Meridian, firing was heard in the rear of Vicksburgh, which assured me that General Grant was approaching the city. The cannonading was kept up furiously for some time, when, by the aid of glasses, I discerned a company of our artillery advancing, taking position, and driving the rebels before them.

I immediately saw that General Sherman's division had come on to the left of Snyder's Bluff, and that the rebels at that place had been cut off from joining the forces in the city. I despatched the De Kalb, Lieutenant Commander Walker, Choctaw, Lieutenant Commander er Ramsay, Romeo, Petrel, and Forest Rose, all under command of Lieut. Commander Breese, up the Yazoo, to open communication in that way with Generals Grant and Sherman.

This I succeeded in doing, and in three hours received letters from Generals Grant, Sherman, and Steele, informing me of this vast success, and asking me to send up provisions, which was at once done.

In the mean time, Lieut. Commander Walker, in the De Kalb, pushed on to Haines's Bluff, which the enemy had commenced evacuating a day before, and a party remained behind in the hopes of destroying or taking away a large amount of ammunition on hand.

When they saw the gunboats, they came out and left every thing in good order-guns, fort, tents, and equipage of all kinds, which fell into our hands.

As soon as the capture of Haines's Bluff and fourteen guns was reported to me, I shoved up the gunboats from below Vicksburgh to fire at the hill batteries, which fire was kept up for two or three hours. At midnight they moved up to the town and opened on it for about an hour, and continued at intervals during the night to annoy the garrison.

Such a net-work of defences I never saw. The rebels were a year constructing them, and all were rendered useless in an hour. As soon as I got through with the destruction of the magazines and other works, I started Lieutenant Commander Walker up the Yazoo River with a sufficient force to destroy all the enemy's property in that direction, with orders to return with all despatch, and only to proceed as far as Yazoo City, where the rebels have a navy, yard, and storehouses.

In the mean time, General Grant has closely invested Vicksburgh, and has possession of the best commanding points. In a very short time a general assault will take place, when I hope to announce that Vicksburgh has fallen, after a series of the most brilliant successes that ever attended an army.

There has never been a case during the war where the rebels have been so successfully beaten at all points, and the patience and endurance shown by our army and navy for so many months is about being rewarded.

It is a mere question of a few hours, and then, with the exception of Port Hudson, which will follow Vicksburgh, the Mississippi will be open its entire length. D. D. PORTER,

A. R. A. Commanding the Mississippi Squadron.

Doc. 195.

SKIRMISH NEAR FAYETTEVILLE, VA. FAYETTEVILLE, VIRGINIA, May 27, 1863. We have perfect quiet here now, though but a few days ago matters were lively.

On Sunday, the seventeenth of May, our cavalry outpost on the Raleigh road, distant from Fayette Court-House something like eight miles, were informed of the presence of the enemy in their front; and one company of the Second Virginia cavalry was sent to their assistance. About fifty men of the Twelfth regiment had been stationed on Blake's farm, one mile and a half inside of the cavalry outpost. Saturday morning the infantry force was drawn in, and arrived at camp about dark.

The works at Haines's Bluff are very formidable. There are fourteen of the heaviest kind of mounted eight and ten-inch and seven and a half

camp-guard, where they remained until the morning of the eighteenth, when Captain Robert Wilson arrived with companies A, F, K, and E, of the Twelfth, from this point; and proceeded with

his whole force, consisting of one company of the Second Virginia cavalry and the four companies of the Twelfth, toward Blake's Farm, which they reached without molestation.

Here the infantry was halted, and Captain Wilson took the cavalry and moved out on the Raleigh road four or five miles beyond the point from which they had been driven the night before; and there encountered the enemy in considerable numbers. After exchanging a few shots, he fell back to Blake's farm; and then sent Lieutenant Ankrom and twelve men up the Raleigh road the second time, with orders to ascertain, if possible, the strength of the enemy. Lieutenant Medlicott, with twelve men, was also sent out on the old mountain road that intersects the main road near Blake's farm.

Lieutenant Ankrom advanced on the Raleigh road a short distance beyond where we first saw the enemy. After firing a few shots, he fell back to the main body, and reported that he had seen about one hundred men.

A courier was then sent to Lieutenant Medlicott, ordering him to fall back for fear of an ambuscade. It being late when he arrived, the whole party bivouacked for the night.

About seven o'clock in the morning of the eighteenth, twenty men, under command of Lieutenant Glotfeldter, of the Twelfth, were sent to the front to reconnoitre. Just as they were starting, one of the advanced pickets came in and reported that a squad of fifteen men had made their appearance, but, upon discovering our pickets, had fallen back. The two lieutenants of cavalry were then ordered to take twelve men each one squad to follow, and, if possible, overtake the fifteen men; the other to proceed to McCoy's bridge. Neither squad had got out of sight before the pickets on the Raleigh road commenced firing. The lieutenants were immediately ordered to return, and the whole force drawn up to receive the enemy.

Company K, of the Twelfth, were sent back to the cross-roads, two miles in our rear, with orders to hold the road; but before he got his position the enemy appeared in sight on the front and on our left flank, and attacked our pickets, who fell back, disputing the ground all the way, until they reached the main body.

In a few minutes information was received that company K had been attacked in their rear, at Huddleston's Bridge. Captain Wilson gave Lieutenant Glotfeldter command of the three remaining companies of infantry, with orders to fall back into the woods and make their way to camp. About the time the infantry had gained the cover of the woods, the rebel cavalry appeared in force. The cavalry under Captain Wilson fell back for the purpose of reënforcing company K, of the Twelfth. The Captain's horse not being as fast as the others, he could not keep the lead, but the company charged down the road toward the bridge at Huddleston, under a heavy fire. The rebels had torn the bridge up, and some ten or twelve of the foremost horses went through into the run, carrying their riders with them. The

balance of the company were led by First Lientenant Joseph Ankrom, who rescued some of the men who had fallen through the bridge, and making their way around the bridge succeeded in getting into position. They then commenced firing, and thus enabled company K, of the Twelfth, and some of the cavalry, to gain the woods. The cavalry skirmished all the way back until they reached the outside picket-fort. While running the road, Captain Wilson had his horse shot from under him, but escaped unhurt, and soon after his arrival at the outside picket, had the pleasure of meeting the other companies of his command, who had been brought in safely by Lieutenant Glotfeldter. They then proceeded to camp. In a few minutes the enemy got their artillery into position, and began shelling the woods, but without doing any damage.

When the detachment under Captain Wilson reached camp, the works were all filled with troops, and every thing prepared to receive our visitors, who soon made their appearance. They fired the first shot at two A.M., and as soon as our guns could be brought to bear, we replied. The second shell fired by the rebels killed the only man killed during the engagement. His name was Owen McGinnis, a sergeant of company A, of the Twelfth, Captain Wilson. He was struck on the head with a ball from a twelve pound spherical case-shot, killing him almost immediately. The firing of the rebels was rapid, and, as a general thing, wild. One section of Captain McMullen's battery, which was stationed in the outside redan, compelled the rebels to move their artillery nine times during the afternoon, and disabled one piece. The firing was kept up until night, when both sides ceased, and the troops rested on the ground all night.

About five A.M., on the nineteenth, company K arrived in camp, they having gone entirely around the right flank of the rebels. They were hailed with a hearty greeting by the rest of the boys. During the operations of Captain Wilson and his command, three men were wounded and six missing. One of the wounded-George Bahan, company K, Twelfth O. V. L-has since died. The others are doing well.

Early on the morning of the twentieth our battery opened on the rebels and elicited a reply. The firing was kept up until two P.M., when it was ascertained the enemy was retreating. Colonel White, of the Twelfth, who has command here, asked for permission to follow, which was granted, but not until late in the evening, when the enemy had got a good start; but, thinking that he might overtake them, he started, after dark, with about two thousand men and part of McMullen's battery, and after pursuing them a distance of twenty-five miles, gave up the chase as hopeless, and returned to his camp with as dusty a crowd of boys as ever any one witnessed.

Our total loss was fourteen killed, wounded, and missing, in the Twelfth Ohio; three men and six horses missing in the Second Virginia cavalry, and three horses wounded.

Among the men who went through the bridge