sound of Crufts's and Baird's cannon, and after a by no means pleasant ride of a couple of hours, amongst rocks and hills, and valleys and ravines, scowled at by the natives from whom we could learn not a word concerning the whereabouts of our troops, and in imminent danger of being picked up by some straggling squad of rebel cavalry, we at length had the unspeakable satisfaction of getting upon General Baird's trail; and riding on a mile or two further, found that, almost unknown to ourselves, we had turned the formidable barrier of Rocky Face, which now appeared upon our right.

Every step we took, the sounds of conflict became more and more distinct, until at last we caught sight of our troops stretched across the valley, the advance line skirmishing briskly with the enemy. The order of battle I have named, was still preserved. Of Baird's division, Van Derveer's brigade was on the left, Turchin's upon the right.

It was one o'clock when we arrived upon this part of the field, and scarcely had we reached our lines, when it became evident that a severe struggle was just on the point of taking place.

In truth, the position the rebels held in this valley, was almost as strong as that upon the road from Tunnel Hill. The valley was wider than the gorge, but the natural fortifications were of a similar nature, and only required to be held by a somewhat stronger force. The passage into Dalton along this valley, would evidently be accomplished only by copious effusion of blood. A hill near the centre of the valley seemed to form the key to the position. To the right of this was another, the possession of which would enable us to operate with great advantage against the other. Just as I rode up, General Palmer announced his intention of attempting to carry this latter point.

The victory seemed gained, and the brigade rushed to the top of the hill to secure what it had won. But the enemy had rallied half-way down, supported by a fresh force outnumbering Turchin's two to one. No sooner had our boys reached the summit than a withering storm of bullets swept up the hill. Bravely they replied for a time, making many a rebel bite the dust. But the galling fire could not long be borne. It would be madness to charge down the hill into the midst of twice or thrice their numbers. Hence, they withdrew slowly and reluctantly to their former position along the slope of Rocky Face. The rebels did not attempt to follow, but contented themselves with repossessing the hill.

This was the bloodiest, as it might be called the closing, conflict of this interesting campaign. A brisk cannonade and a fierce and determined skirmishing were kept up until nightfall; but no advance was made upon either side. All the remainder of the afternoon the two armies stood confronting each other, so close together that the skirmishers of either could fire entirely over the rear-lines of the other. A number of incidents, at once singular and interesting, fell under my own observation, but I shall only mention this one.

General Palmer was standing near our skir mishers, when a bullet, fired by one of the opposing rebels, passed through both the skirts of his coat and both legs of his pants, without even grazing the skin! Probably there is not a similar case on record.

When night came on, a spectacle met our eyes, at once brilliant, beautiful, and sublime. During the course of the conflict, the leaves, rendered inflammable by several weeks' dry weather, had taken fire; and now long lines of the devouring element could be seen everywhere running up and down the mountains, twisting and writhing The task of taking the hill was assigned to and hissing like monstrous serpents of living General Turchin, than whom a better, braver fire. The fine twigs and cones, of which vast man can scarcely be found in our army. He quantities lay upon the ground, added to the had only a portion of his brigade with him, but hugeness of the conflagration; in some places he had such regiments as the Eleventh, Eighty- the progress of our withdrawing troops was serininth, Ninety-second Ohio, and the Eighty-se-ously impeded by the smoke and heat; and at cond Indiana, and with these he was sure to win, if success, under the circumstances, were possible, for these regiments scarce ever fail, and when they do, it is with undiminished honor.

ten P.M., it really seemed, to a spectator gazing from Tunnel Hill, as if the whole State of Georgia was on fire, and her eternal mountains were melting beneath the flames.

It was after night when the troops began to retire; and ere they closed their eyes in slumber that night, they were on the west side of the Tunnel Hill range.

A heavy strip of timber runs along the lower portion of the east slope of Rocky Face. Through this Turchin and his men steadily advanced, the General in the front ranks, drawing repeatedly upon his own person the fire of the rebel skir About three in the afternoon, General Davis, mishers. Forming his line of battle along the who with Morgan's and McCook's brigades, supslope of the mountain, just opposite to and facing ported by General Johnson's command, was hold. the hill which he was to carry, he gave the ordering the inouth of the gorge on the Tunnel Hill to advance. Immediately the whole valley re-road, began to advance slowly and feel the enesounded with a terrible roar of musketry, and the my. The latter manifested the utmost sensitiveenemy's cannon, replied to by our own Fourthness, and raking the gorge with his cannon, inregular battery, added to the awful din. The flicted upon General Morgan considerable loss. rebels were swept away from the foot of the hill. After night, this force retired to Tunnel Hill, Half way up they endeavored to make a stand, which we continue to hold. but our boys, charging forward with loud shouts, drove them across the summit.

Thus ended this highly important expedition. It has again, if that were needed, demonstrated

the fighting qualities of our own troops. It has ing or demolishing the forces in West-Louisiana. familiarized us with a section of country, com- It is altogether probable that something in the paratively unknown before. It has shown the seasons had dictated this choice to General tremendous strength of the enemy's position at Banks. For example, the Red River is only Dalton. It has for ever set at rest the silly sto-high enough to be navigable by the largest vesries of Johnston's army having gone to Mobile sels during this month and the next, while the and other points; and, above all, it has prevent- task of taking Mobile is one which might be uned that army, or any considerable part of it, from dertaken at any time, though it is unaccountably being so sent away. strange that it was not begun in December instead of May.

It was well ascertained that Cleburne's division did not start away until the evening of the twenty-first, and at least one brigade of it had returned by the twenty-fifth. Stevenson's, Stuart's, Loring's divisions, one brigade of Cleburne's, one of another division, whose commander could not be ascertained, and Wheeler's cavalry, were all known to have been in the fight of Thursday. Although this correspondent would be very glad to have Joe Johnston evacuate Dalton, he cannot but feel somewhat proud of this triumphant vindication of the statement he made weeks ago, and has since had occasion several times to repeat, concerning the presence and strength of the rebel army at Dalton.

As is well known, the column under General Franklin crossed from New-Orleans to Brashear City about the first instant, and thence took up the line of march along the Bayou Teche, substantially the same route pursued nearly a year ago, via Opelousas to Alexandria. The forces under General A. J. Smith, from the department of the Tennessee, comprising the brigades under Generals F. K. Smith, Thomas, and Ellet, embarked at Vicksburgh on the tenth, and proceeded down to the mouth of Red River, where they found an immense fleet of gunboats ready for the ascent.

Touching the naval force, it may be well to remark that a more formidable fleet was never under single command than that now on the Western rivers, under Rear-Admiral Porter; and, it might be said also, never to less purpose. At the time of departure, the strength of the re

The expedition could not well fail of being an entire success, as it was managed throughout with wisdom, prudence, and skill. I venture to say that however high General Palmer may have stood in the estimation of his corps, he has risen still higher since the commencement of this ex-bellion in the inland waters had been crushed. pedition.

General Whipple seemed everywhere present, and I am assured by those who ought best to know, that his advice throughout the whole affair was most timely and valuable.

Its forts had been demolished at Henry, Donelson, Columbus, Island 10, Vicksburgh, Hudson, and New-Orleans, by the gallant Foote and Farragut, united with the army. Its fleet had been sunk by Ellet, Farragut, and Davis. All that remained to be extinguished was one insignificant fort at Gordon's Landing, and one ram and one gunboat on Red River. To meet this force, we had collected twenty powerful war-vessels of all classes, from the light draught to the heaviest monitor. Among them were the monitors Ozark, Osage, Neosho; the iron-clads - Benton, Carondelet, Pittsburgh, Mound City, Louisville, It remains for all these generals to be tested Essex, and Chillicothe; the rams Price, Chocupon a severe field, but here, at least, they did taw, La Fayette, besides the lighter boats, Blackwell. Our losses will not exceed two hundred│hawk, Ouachita, Champion, and Taylor. Conkilled, wounded, and missing. The enemy's will not fall below five hundred.

Generals Johnson and Davis discharged the duties imposed upon them with a cheerfulness and self-sacrificing alacrity which did much to keep up the efficiency and morale of their men. General Crufts and Baird both sustained their reputation as soldiers, and the latter especially seemed to understand how to impart vigor and spirit to his troops.

Doc. 96.

Y. S.

CAPTURE OF FORT DE RUSSY, LA.

ON BOARD FLAG-SHIP,

FORT DE RUSSY, March 15, 1864. }

To understand the importance of the great expedition up Red River, it is necessary to review the military situation in the beginning of March. Sherman had returned to Vicksburgh from his grand but disappointing raid into Mississippi, and instead of directing his forces toward Mobile, the point greatest and almost the only position of vital concern to the rebels, he detached a portion of them to General Banks's assistance, who, it appears, had predetermined on scatter

templating this vast array of armed vessels to meet so weak a foe, those who are familiar with the history, cannot but contrast with it the different equipments with which the lamented Colonel Ellet was despatched on the same errand more than a year ago, with the Queen of the West only.

The twenty transports, preceded by the twenty gunboats, started from the Mississippi on the tenth, and ascended the Red River as far as what is called the Old River, when we turned into the Atchafalaya instead of continuing up Red River. Many were the speculations upon our course as they saw us descending the stream instead of ascending. To a person unacquainted with the peculiarities of this region, it seems indeed strange that the water should run up and down consecutively. The whole of West-Louisiana is overspread with a network of bayous, which are interlaced with each other in a very

unusual manner. Indeed, though Red River is and insulted a family two miles distant. In fact, usually accounted one of the tributaries of the unless checked by summary example, there is Mississippi River, there is abundant evidence to danger of our whole noble army degenerating believe that at no great period back the Red into a band of cut-throats and robbers. I am River continued its course to the Gulf through glad to say that General Smith is disposed to the Atchafalaya. The latter stream is now main-punish all offenders severely. ly fed by the former, and should properly bear its name. We found it for twelve miles a deep

and navigable stream.

At Simmsport the fleet came to a landing. The town itself does not exist, a few chimneys alone marking the former site, having been burned up by Colonel Charles Rivers Ellet, in retaliation for their having fired on his boat, the Queen of the West. Colonel John Ellet afterward visited the place with the Switzerland, during the siege of Port Hudson, when he had a severe engagement with the batteries, and finished the work of his cousin.

It was decided that the column should march overland to Fort De Russy, the place to which it was supposed they had retreated, distant thirty-five miles. At daybreak, they started in light marching order. The boats were steamed up the Red River, which proved to be extremely tortuous and difficult of navigation. At a point sixty-five miles above the mouth, and twentyfive above Black River, we came upon a small earthwork, without guns, distant by land about five miles from the main fort. Hewn piles and timbers had floated past during the day, preparing us for the evacuation above.

Meanwhile the column under General Smith, with Morse's brigade in the advance, made a night_march across from Simmsport. Before they had gotten five miles out on their march, they were beset by the enemy's cavalry, which kept harassing front and rear during the entire route. A company of cavalry, under Captain Hughes, preceded the column, skirmishing continually. General F. Kilby Smith, who commanded the division in the rear, was often obliged to form in line to repel their threatened attack. Notwithstanding that a delay of three hours occurred in rebuilding a bridge destroyed by the flying enemy, the entire march, thirty miles, was accomplished in twenty hours, and, as the result showed, captured a strong position before sundown-a feat which has hardly a parallel. The country back of the Fort is an undulating table-land, beautiful to behold, and inhabited by descendants of the early French settlers. Indeed, many of them had hoisted over their porches the tri-color of France, although they have been living here, receiving the privileges of citizenship, for more than twenty years.

Two new earthworks were found in course of construction, and abundant evidences of the traffic across the stream at this point. A short distance up the bayou, which enters at this point, were found twenty-four pontoons used for a bridge; also, portions of a raft of timber long enough to stretch across. News reached us that a camp near the river had been hastily evacuated at the sight of the fleet; afterward we heard | that about two thousand had a fortified camp three miles from the river, at the intersection of Bayou Glaize, (Yellow Bayou.) Next morning the land forces were disembarked, and marched out by sunrise to find the camp broken up and the enemy gone; the bridge leading across the stream burning, and evidence of a fright. There were two extensive earthworks, still incomplete, and a prodigious raft being constructed across Bayou Glaize so as to prevent the gunboats ascending the little channel during high-water. This location of their principal fortifications is significant in two things: their intention to make the Atchafalaya as their line of defence, and their distrust of their ability to hold forts immediately on the banks of navigable streams. Henceforth we imagined their policy would be It was about three o'clock as the head of the to hold the roads to the interior by works erect-column neared Fort De Russy; some time was ed beyond the range of the gunboats. Their abandonment of Simmsport was indicative that they had lost hope of defending successfully these latter.

Five miles further out, our force overtook five teams loaded with tents, which they burned, and loaded up the teams with sugar and molasses, which the rebels had unsuccessfully attempted to destroy. The whole column then returned to the boats. I should not be a faithful historian if I omitted to mention that the conduct of the troops since the late raid of General Sherman, is becoming very prejudicial to our good name and to their efficiency. A spirit of destruction and wanton ferocity seems to have seized upon many of them, which is quite incredible. At Red River landing they robbed a house of several thousand dollars in specie, and then fired the house to conceal their crime. At Simmsport, a party of them stole out, and robbed

spent in making cautious approaches to the position, when the lines were moved up to the edge of the timber. The Fort then opened heavily with four guns, firing shells and shrapnel, our forces bringing two batteries into action. The cannonading continued two hours, when General Smith ordered a line of skirmishers to advance, when a heavy fusilade followed. A charge was ordered; the Fifty-eighth Illinois and the Eighth Wisconsir led, when just as the men had reached the ditch the garrison surrendered. About this time the boats made their appearance, the Eastport in the lead. They fired two shots without effect, across a rock, when the cheers of our delighted soldiers told them the Fort was ours. The gunboats were not engaged; the honor of this victory may be set down to the credit of the land forces.

The Fort consists of two distinct and formidable earth-works connected by a covered way.

here, which the gunboats had to tear away to allow the huge transports to pass through. As nearly as I can learn, Walker has two thousand men, mostly infantry, south of us. Taylor has, perhaps, as many at Alexandria, and it is probable that they may be united at the latter place. Banks has some, doubtless, in his front about Opelousas.

The upper part, the one facing the road from the certainly does not find corroboration in the fact interior, is a beautiful specimen of engineering that they surrendered to forces which marched skill, and is remarkable for the substantial and across the country. Of this sort was the unfinpermanent manner in which every part is con-ished obstruction of piles about nine miles below structed. It mounted at the time of capture four guns, two field and two siege, though capable of accommodating twenty. It is perhaps a quarter of a mile from the river-bank, and seated on the gradual slope of a ridge, the first seen on ascending the river. In the lower work commanding the river was a casemated battery of three guns of superior construction. Upon a solid frame of twenty inches of timber were laid two layers of railroad iron, the upper tier reversed and laid into the interstices of the lower. But two guns were in position in it-one eleven-inch columbiad, taken from the Indianola, and an eight-inch smooth bore. On each side were batteries of two guns each, one a seven-inch rifle, of Parrott pattern, making in all eight siege and two field-pieces. There were found besides large quantities of ammunition and a thousand muskets, besides flour, sugar, etc.

Our loss in the affair was four killed and thirty wounded; rebels, five killed and four wounded. Two hundred prisoners constituted the garrison then in the Fort, all of which fell into our hands, with twenty-four officers. A force of about a thousand men has been stationed at De Russy until recently. The smallness of the garrison is a matter of much surprise, as the enemy must have known of our presence for some days; besides, it appears that a small number left in the morning before the attack. Two thirty-two pounders, on wheels, were hauled off only a few hours before our arrival, and narrowly escaped capture by our forces. It is unaccountable that the rebels should leave so valuable a position almost defenceless at this time, and can only be accounted for on the ground that General Banks was menacing Alexandria, and they decided to sacrifice one of the two places to hold the other. The troops have already reembarked, and are on the way to Alexandria.

Fort De Russy takes its name from Colonel De Russy, who formerly commanded in this vicinity, and lives not far distant. LieutenantColonel Bird was in command, though he reported to General Walker, whose headquarters were at Alexandria.

The following officers are prisoners: Captains Stevens, Morran, Wise, Wright, Laird, and King; Lieutenants Denson, Fuller, Fogarty, Claydon, Trumbull, (Eng.,) Burbank, Hewey, Assenheimer, Fall, Hauk, Ball, Little, Barksdale, Spinks, Bringhurst, and Stout.

From various sources we gather that the rebels here have about abandoned the idea of defending any of their navigable streams. When asked to account for their apparent neglect of so important a fort, they reply that this was considered merely as an experiment in engineering, (certainly a very creditable one, and one which the gun boats alone might have vainly assailed for a month,) but claim that so soon as we leave the rivers they will fall on us for destruction. This

The Red River has not been used for large transports or gunboats since May last, being hitherto too low. The Webb, Missouri, Grand Duke, and Mary Keene are at Shreveport, armed. The distances on this river from the Mississippi are: Black River, forty miles; De Russy, seventy miles; Alexandria, one hundred and forty miles; Shreveport, four hundred and fifty miles.

Doc. 97.

REBEL CURRENCY.

ADJUTANT AND INSPECTOR-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
RICHMOND, VA., Feb. 20, 1864.

}

GENERAL ORDERS, No. 21.
The following Act of Congress is published for
the information of the army:

[No. 116.]

An Act to reduce the Currency and to authorize a new issue of Notes and Bonds.

Sec. 1. The Congress of the confederate States of America do enact, That the holders of all treasury notes above the denomination of five dollars, not bearing interest, shall be allowed until the first day of April, 1864, east of the Mississippi River, and until the first day of July, 1864, west of the Mississippi River, to fund the same, and until the periods and at the places stated, the holders of all such treasury notes shall be allowed to fund the same in registered bonds payable twenty years after their date, bearing interest at the rate of four per cent per annum, payable on the first day of January and July of each year.

Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to issue the bonds required for the funding provided for in the preceding section; and, until the bonds can be prepared, he may issue certificates to answer the purpose. Such bonds and certificates shall be receivable, without interest, in payment of all government dues payable in the year 1864, except export and import duties.

Sec. 3. That all treasury notes of the denomination of one hundred dollars, not bearing interest, which shall not be presented for funding under the provisions of the first section of this act, shall, from and after the first day of April, 1864, east of the Mississippi River, and the first day of July, 1864, west of the Mississippi River, cease to be receivable in payment of public dues; and said notes, if not presented at that time,