the 11th instant the Mound City, the Carondelet, and Pittsburgh came over the upper falls, a good deal of labor having been expended in hauling them through, the channel being very crooked, scarcely wide enough for them. Next day the Ozark, Louisville, Chillicothe, and two tugs also succeeded in crossing the upper falls.

Immediately afterward the Mound City, Carondelet, and Pittsburgh started in succession to pass the dam, all their hatches battened down and every precaution taken to prevent accident.

The passage of these vessels was a most beautiful sight, only to be realized when seen. They passed over without an accident except the unshipping of one or two rudders. This was witnessed by all the troops, and the vessels were heartily cheered when they passed over. Next morning at ten o'clock, the Louisville, Chillicothe, Ozark, and two tugs passed over without any accident except the loss of a man, who was swept off the deck of one of the tugs. By three o'clock that afternoon, the vessels were all coaled, ammunition replaced, and all steamed down the river with the convoy of transports in company. A good deal of difficulty was anticipated in getting over the bars in lower Red River-depth of water reported only five feet; gunboats were drawing six. Providentially, we had a rise from the back-water of the Mississippi-that river being very high at that time-the back water extending to Alexandria, one hundred and fifty miles distant, enabling it to pass all the bars and obstructions with safety.

Words are inadequate to express the admiration I feel for the ability of Lieut.-Col. Bailey. This is without doubt the best engineering feat ever performed. Under the best circumstances, a private company would not have completed this work under one year, and to an ordinary mind the whole thing would have appeared an entire impossibility. Leaving out his ability as an engineer-the credit he has conferred upon the country-he has saved the Union a valuable fleet, worth nearly $2,000,000; more, he has deprived the enemy of a triumph which would have emboldened them to carry on this war a year or two longer, for the intended departure of the army was a fixed fact, and there was nothing left for me to do in case that event occurred but to destroy every part of the vessels, so that the rebels could make nothing of them. The highest honors the Government can bestow on Col. Bailey can never repay him for the service he has rendered the country.

To Gen. Banks, personally, I am much indebted for the happy manner in which he has forwarded this enterprise, giving it his whole attention night and day; scarcely sleeping while the work was going on; attending personally to see that all the requirements of Col. Bailey were complied with on the instant.

I do not believe there ever was a case where such difficulties were overcome in such a short space of time, and without any preparation.

Previous to passing the vessels over the falls, I had nearly all the guns, ammunitions, provisions, chain cables, anchors, and every thing that could effect their draft taken out of them,

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I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your

obedient servant,

DAVID D. PORTER, Rear-Admiral. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C.

The last of the gunboats passed the falls on May 12th, and Alexandria was evacuated on the next day. As early as 10 A. M. the town was discovered to be on fire in several places. Various opinions existed as to its origin, but nothing positive was known. It is situated on a plain, in the centre of a rich cotton-growing region, with six hundred inhabitants. The fire spread with great rapidity. Gen. Banks made

Women gathering their helpless babes in their cries that would have melted the hardest hearts to arms, rushing frantically through the streets with tears. Little boys and girls were running hither and leaning on a staff for support to their trembling thither crying for their mothers and fathers; old men limbs, were hurrying away from the suffocating heat of their burning homes. The helpless wives and children of absent husbands and fathers were almost in the twinkling of an eye driven into the streets, leaving every thing behind but the clothes they then wore. Owing to the simultaneous burning in every part of the city, the people found no security in the streets, where the heat was so intense as almost to create suffocation. Everybody rushed to the river's edge, being protected there from the heat by the high bank of the river. The steamboats lying at the landing were subjected to great annoyance, the heat being so great that the decks had to be flooded with water to prevent the boats from taking fire. Among those who thus crowded the river bank were the wives, daughters, and children, helpless and now all homeless, of the Union men who had joined the Federal army since the occupation of Alexandria. Their husbands had already been marched off in the front toward Semmesport, leaving their families in their old homes, but to the tender mercies of the Confederates. The torch had now destroyed their dwellings, their household goods and apparel, the last morsel of provisions, and left them starving and desalong with the Federal army, where their husbands titute. As might be expected, they desired to go had gone. They applied to be allowed to go aboard the with excitement. The officers of the boats were detransports. They were refused! They became frantic sirous of doing so, but there was the peremptory order not to allow any white citizen to go aboard.

the occupation would be permanent, and that proIt had been expected when the army arrived that tection would be given to all who came forward and took the oath of allegiance; while those who would not were threatened with banishment and confiscation of property. Hundreds came forward and took the oath. An election was held, and delegates were sent to the constitutional convention then in session at New Orleans. A recruiting office was opened, and a large number of white men were mustered into the United States service. Quite a number of permanent citizens of Alexandria took the oath, and were promised protection. Their houses and other property in the world with nothing, absolutely nothing, save were now all reduced to ashes, and they turned out the amnesty oath. They could not now go to the plied to be allowed to go aboard the transports and Confederates and apply for charity. They too apgo to New Orleans. They were refused in every in

stance!

The guns taken from the boats above the falls were bursted; and when every thing was ready, the fleet, last of all, moved away, leaving the place wrapped in a dense volume of smoke. The fleet proceeded down the river about ten miles, and laid up for the night. On the next day the advance of the army was overtaken by the fleet, and on the 16th both began to arrive at Semmesport. The Atchafalaya was crossed the next day by the army, by means of twenty

two steamboats placed side by side, with their bows lashed firmly together. "A plank bridge was then laid across the bows of each, connecting them together, and forming a solid bridge across the stream, which was no sooner finished than it was covered with teams, and there was a constant stream of wagons, cavalry, and men, until the night of the 20th, when the last of Gen. Smith's division crossed over, and the bridge in five minutes was endowed with life, and broke into fragments and proceeded up the river."

Thence the army proceeded toward the Mississippi, encountering on the way a considerable force of the enemy, with whom a sharp skirmish ensued. It finally returned to New Orleans, and the fleet resumed its station on the Mississippi. This withdrawal of Gen. Banks left the enemy at liberty to move into Arkansas and operate against Gen. Steele, who was moving toward Shreveport.

It was expected that Gen. Steele, in command of the 7th army corps, at Little Rock, in Arkansas, would cooperate with Gen. Banks on his approach to Shreveport. For this purpose he left Little Rock, March 23d, with twelve thousand infantry and three thousand cavalry, under Gen. Carr. On the previous day Gen. Thayer, in command of the Army of the Frontier, left Fort Smith, with nearly five thousand men, to join Gen. Steele. About the same time Col. Clayton, with a small force, left Pine Bluffs on an expedition. Camden was the point of junction for the three commands. It was 120 miles distant from Little Rock, about 180 miles from Fort Smith, and 80 miles from Pine Bluffs.

It was known that a force of the enemy, about twelve thousand men, under command of Gen. Price, was in southwestern Arkansas, and occupied a line from Camden, at the head of navigation on the Washita River, west to Washington, in Hampstead County. Camden is an important position for all movements looking to the occupation of the Red River and confluent streams. Forage and subsistence were abundant in the region, and the army of the enemy was well clothed and in good spirits.

Camden was known to be well fortified. Gen. Steele, therefore, directed his march toward Washington, evidently with the design of flanking Camden and drawing out of the fortifications what forces might be there. On the 14th of April, having advanced one hundred and ten miles in twenty-two days, he first encountered a strong cavalry division under Gen. Marmaduke, This was at the Little Missouri River, sixteen miles west of Camden. Heavy skirmishing ensued. On the 16th Gen. Thayer arrived with his force. Crossing the Little Missouri at a point menacing Shreveport, Washington, or Camden, Gen. Steele concealed the real destination of the expedition, which was Camden, and marched beyond the junction of the roads, thus deluding the enemy into the belief that he intended to attack Shreveport. Act

ing upon this opinion, they withdrew and took a fortified position. From this they were driven by a flank movement of Gen. Steele, who pursued, apparently with vigor, and captured some prisoners, and then moving in a direct line to Camden. The enemy, having discovered his error, concentrated his cavalry, and attacked in front, flank, and rear, hoping to embarrass Gen. Steele, so that his own infantry might have time to regain the works at Camden. Their efforts were in vain, and Gen. Steele took possession of the town.

Col. Clayton, in advancing from Pine Bluffs, captured a pontoon bridge over the Saline, and attacked and dispersed a cavalry force and took a number of prisoners. He thus reported his movement:

PINE BLUFF, ARK., March 81, 1864.

Major Greene, A. A. Gen.:

The expedition to Mount Elba and Longview has just returned. We destroyed the pontoon bridge at Longview; burned a train of thirty-five wagons, loaded with camp and garrison equipments, ammunition, quartermaster stores, &c.; captured three hundred and twenty prisoners; engaged in battle at Mount Elba, yesterday morning, Gen. Docking's dilo; routed him, and pursued him ten miles, with a vision, of about twelve hundred men, from Monticelloss on his side of over one hundred killed and wounded; captured a large quantity of small arms, two stands of colors, many wagons, and over three hundred horses and mules. Our loss will not exceed in several hundred contrabands. fifteen in killed, wounded, and missing. We brought The expedition was a complete success, the details of which will be furnished in my official report, which will be forwarded in a few days. POWELL CLAYTON, Col. Commanding.

It was soon known that Gen. Banks had failed in his object on the Red River. This, to some extent, endangered the command of Gen. Steele. The force of the enemy, estimated to reach twenty-five thousand men, could now, in part, be moved against Gen. Steele. As it was not his plan to act alone, but in conjunction with Gen. Banks, he now prepared to fall back. In addition to these circumstances, his communications were interrupted and Little Rock threatened. On the day following the occupation of Camden, the enemy appeared in force about six miles to the south. A pontoon bridge was put across the Washita River thirty miles east of Camden, by which a force of the enemy's cavalry crossed and cut off the supplies. Trees were also felled into the stream, and other obstructions made to the navigation. On the 21st, a foraging party, with one hundred and fifty wagons and an escort of nearly a thousand men, were sent to a point sixteen miles west. On the return, at Poison Springs, twelve miles west of Camden, the command was attacked by a strong force of the enemy. After a severe struggle of some hours, the force reached Camden, with a loss of two hundred and fifty men, four guns, and the trains, with a number of arms.

On the 23d Gen. Steele started a train of two hundred and fifty wagons, six ambulances, and an escort of two hundred cavalry and

twelve hundred infantry, with four pieces of artillery, to Pine Bluffs for supplies for the army. The expedition was under the command of Lieut.-Col. Drake, of the 36th Iowa. On the 25th, an attack was made on the train, within six miles of the Saline River, by a cavalry force under Maj.-Gen. Fagan, which result ed in the capture or wounding of all the officers, nearly all the men-of whom two hundred and fifty were killed and wounded-four brass guns, and the wagon trains.

On the 26th Gen. Steele determined to evacuate Camden, and before daylight of the 27th the army had crossed, the pontoon bridge was secured, and the Washita River put between him and the forces of the enemy. The army was pushed forward over bad roads, and on the 28th camped at Princeton crossing, and on the next evening at the Saline crossings, Jenkins Ferry. During the night the enemy showed themselves in the rear. Whether they were in force, or only sufficient to harass by cavalry attacks until Gen. Kirby Smith's main force could intercept the march to Little Rock, was uncertain. Dispositions were, however, made by Gen. Steele to resist a large force. The bad condition of the roads, and the heavy rain which commenced, and the darkness, prevented the crossing of the Saline during the night. The pontoon bridge, however, had been laid, and a small portion of the force passed over. The remainder of the army encamped in the bottom lands of the river, to which it descended from a considerable elevation about four miles west of the stream. Gen. Salomon's division camped about two miles from the hill, and the line which it was to hold in the morning was protected on the left by the Saline and swampy bottom lands, and on the right by a bayou skirting the base of the uplands. In the morning the rain poured in torrents. The artillery, the trains, and men were to cross over the river. Soon after daylight skirmishing commenced in the rear, and a general engagement soon succeeded. The enemy consisted of all their forces in southwestern Arkansas, with some from Louisiana, under Gens. Smith, Price, Walker, Churchill, and others. Under Gen. Steele, the commands of Gens. Salomon, Thayer, Rice, Ingleman, and Col. Benton were engaged. The battle continued about seven hours, and resulted in the repulse of the enemy, and a loss to Gen. Steele of seven hundred in killed and wounded, although several stands of colors were captured and three pieces of artillery. The loss of the enemy in killed and wounded was also severe. The effect of the battle was not only to secure a safe retreat to Little Rock for Gen. Steele, where he arrived on the 2d of May, but also to relieve, for some time, that portion of Arkansas, and also Missouri, from the presence of the enemy. The following is Gen. Steele's address to his troops:

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF ARKANSAS.
LITTLE ROCK, May 9.

To you troops of the 7th army corps, who participated in the recent campaign designed to co

operate with Gen. Banks' movement against Shreve port, the Major-General Commanding tenders his earnest and grateful thanks. Although you were compelled to fall back without seeing the main object of the expedition accomplished, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have beaten the enemy wherever he has met you in force, and extricated yourselves from the perilous position in which you were placed by the reverses of the coöperating column. This let loose upon you a superior force of the enemy, under one of their best generals, causing the loss of your trains and the total interruption of your communications, rendering it impossible for you to and swamps, while pressed by a superior force of the obtain supplies. You have fallen back over rivers enemy. This you have done successfully, punishing the enemy severely at the same time.

The patience with which you have endured hardbattle-field, have been brought to the notice of the ships and privations, and your heroic conduct on the Government, and will furnish a page in the history of this war of which you may well be proud.

F. STEELE, Maj.-Gen. Commanding. For further details of military affairs under Gen. Steele, see ARKANSAS.

The withdrawal of the forces of Gens. Sherman and A. J. Smith from Vicksburg to engage in the Red River expedition, afforded an opportunity for the irregular command of Gen. Forrest, with other detached forces of the enemy in Northern Mississippi and Southwestern Tennessee, to concentrate for an attack on the Federal posts in West Tennessee and Kentucky. Accordingly, on March 23d, Gen. Forrest left Jackson, Tennessee, with about five thousand men, marching north to Union City. Jackson is a station on the railroad from Cairo and Columbus to New Orleans, and about one hundred and seven miles from Cairo, and sixty miles from Union City, another station on the same railroad, where the line to Paducah and the one to Hickman commence. On the next day he arrived before Union City and summoned Col. Hawkins, with four hundred and fifty men of the 11th Tennessee Union cavalry, to surrender. The surrender of the place was made after resisting an assault, and also two hundred horses and five hundred small arms. This surrender was opposed by the officers under Col. Hawkins' command, and only one man had been injured when it was made. A force under Gen. Brayman, from Cairo, advanced within six miles for its defence; but on learning that it had surrendered, Gen. Brayman retired. Gen. Forrest next occupied Hickman, and then moved immediately north with Buford's division of his forces, direct from Jackson to Paducah. This place was occupied by Col. S. G. Hicks, 40th Illinois regiment, with six hundred and fifty-five men. Col. Hicks retired into Fort Anderson and there made a stand, assisted by the gunboats Peosta and Paw-Paw, belonging to the command of Capt. Shirk of the navy. Gen. Forrest then sent the following demand for a surrender:

HEADQUARTERS FORREST'S CAVALRY CORPS, PADUCAH, March 25, 1864. To Col. Hicks, commanding Federal forces at Paducah : Having a force amply sufficient to carry your works and reduce the place, in order to avoid the unnecessary effusion of blood, I demand a surrender of the

fort and troops, with all the public stores. If you surrender you shall be treated as prisoners of war, but if I have to storm your works you may expect no quarter. N. B. FORREST, Maj.-Gen. Com'ing. Col. Hicks replied as follows:

HEADQUARTERS POST PADUCAH, PADUCAH, KY., March 25, 1864. Maj.-Gen. N. B. Forrest, commanding Confederate forces: I have this moment received yours of this instant, in which you demand an unconditional surrender of forces under my command. I can answer, that I have been placed here by my Government to defend the post. In this, as well as all other orders from my superior officers, I feel it my duty as an honorable officer to obey, and must therefore respectfully decline surrendering, as you require. Very respectfully,

S. G. HICKS, Commanding Post.

Two successive attacks upon the fort were now made by the enemy and repulsed. They next occupied the houses, and fired from behind them and from the windows, but were steadily held back. At half-past eleven P.M. they retired. During the evening a steamboat on the marine ways was burned, and also some houses. On the next morning Gen. Forrest proposed an exchange for some prisoners in Col. Hicks' hands, but the latter had no power to make the exchange. In the afternoon the enemy retired. Gen. Forrest reported that he held the town ten hours, and captured many stores and ⚫ horses, burned sixty bales of cotton, one steamboat, and took fifty prisoners. His loss at Union City and Paducah he stated at twenty-five killed and wounded, and the prisoners captured at five hundred. The loss of Col. Hicks was fourteen killed and forty-six wounded. A large portion of the town was destroyed, partly by the guns fired from the fort upon the enemy, and partly by the enemy.

On the 12th of April an attack was made on Fort Pillow by Gen. Forrest, with Gen. Chalmers' division of his forces, of which Gen. Forrest led Bell's brigade, and Chalmers led McCulloch's. Fort Pillow is situated about seventy miles above Memphis, on the Mississippi River. Its garrison at the time of the assault consisted of nineteen officers and five hundred and thirty-eight enlisted men, of whom two hundred and sixty-two were colored troops, comprising one battalion of the 6th United States heavy artillery, formerly the 1st Alabama artillery of colored troops, under the command of Major L. F. Booth; one section of the 2d United States light artillery (colored), and one battalion of the 13th Tennessee cavalry (white), commanded by Major W. F. Bradford. Major Booth was the ranking officer, and was in command of the fort.

The troops which had served to garrison the fort were withdrawn in January, to accompany Gen. Sherman's expedition to Meridian, and others had been sent from Memphis subsequently to hold it.

Just before sunrise in the morning, April 12th, the pickets of the garrison were driven in. This was the first intimation which the force then had of an intention of the enemy to

attack the place. Fighting soon became general, and about nine o'clock Major Bradford succeeded to the command and withdrew all the forces within the fort. They had previously occupied some intrenchments at some distance from the fort and further from the river.

This fort was situated on a high bluff, which descended precipitately to the river's edge, the ridge of the bluff on the river side being covered with trees, bushes, and fallen timber. Extending back from the river on either side of the fort was a ravine or hollow, the one below the fort containing several private stores and some dwellings, constituting what is called the town. At the mouth of that ravine and on the river bank were some Government buildings containing commissary stores.

The ravine above the fort was known as Cold Bunk Ravine, the ridge being covered with trees and bushes; to the right or below, and a little to the front of the fort, was a level piece of ground, not quite so elevated as the fort itself, on which had been erected some log huts or shanties, which were occupied by the white troops, and also used for hospital and other purposes. Within the fort tents had been erected, with board floors, for the use of the colored troops. There were six pieces of artillery in the fort, consisting of two 6-pounders, two 12-pounder howitzers, and two 10-pounder Parrotts.

The rebels continued their attack, but up to two or three o'clock in the afternoon they had not gained any decisive success. The Federal troops, both white and black, fought bravely, and were in good spirits. The gunboat No. 7New Era, Capt. Marshall-took part in the conflict, shelling the enemy as opportunity offered.

Signals had been agreed upon by which the officers in the fort could indicate where the guns of the boat could be aimed most effectively. There being but one gunboat no permanent impression appears to have been produced upon the enemy, for as they were shelled out of one ravine they would make their appearance in the other. They would thus appear and retire as the gunboat moved from one point to another.

About one o'clock the fire on both sides slackened somewhat, and the gunboat moved out in the river to cool and clean the guns, having fired 282 rounds of shell, sharpnel, and canister, which nearly exhausted the supply of ammunition. The rebels having thus far failed in their attack, resorted to their customary flags of truce. The first flag conveyed a demand from Gen. Forrest for the unconditional surrender of the fort. To this Major Bradford replied, asking to be allowed an hour to consult with his officers and the officers of the gunboat.

In a short time a second flag of truce appeared with a communication from Gen. Forrest. He would allow Major Bradford twenty minutes in which to move his troops out of the fort, and if it was not done in that time, an assault would be ordered. To this Major Bradford replied