ion) was
disabled and set fire to. The Hindman had her wheel ropes cut away, and
drifted past, turning round and round, and getting well cut up in going
by. The Juliet was cut to pieces in hull and machinery; had fifteen
killed and wounded. I inclose the report of Lieutenant-Commander Phelps,
from the time of his first misfortune until his arrival at this place
(Alexandria), where I now am with all the fleet, but very much surprised
that I have any left, considering all the difficulties encountered. I
came up here with the river on the rise, and water enough for our
largest vessels; and even on my way up to Shreveport from Grand Ecore
the water rose, while it commenced falling where I left the largest
gunboats. Falling or not, I could not go back while in charge of the
transports and material on which _an army of thirty thousand men
depended_."

This is high testimony to the fighting capacity of two hundred riflemen
and four guns, two twelve-pounder smooth-bores and two howitzers, all
that Admiral Porter's three gunboats had to contend with. It proves the
utter helplessness of gunboats in narrow streams, when deprived of the
protection of troops on the banks. Even the iron-clads, with armor
impenetrable by field guns, were readily driven off by sharp-shooters,
who, under cover, closed their ports or killed every exposed man.

On the 24th Liddell, from the north bank of Red River, dashed into
Pineville, opposite Alexandria, killed and captured a score of the
enemy's party, and drove the remainder over the river.

On the 27th Admiral Porter's fleet was lying above the falls, now
impassable, and Banks's army, over twenty thousand strong, was in and
around Alexandria behind earthworks. Such was the condition to which
this large force had been reduced by repeated defeat, that we not only
confined it to its works, driving back many attacks on our advanced
positions, but I felt justified in dividing my little command in order
to blockade the river below, and cut off communication with the
Mississippi. Wharton's horse was divided into three parts, each a
thousand strong, and accompanied by artillery. The first, under Steele,
held the river and Rapides roads, above and west of Alexandria; the
second, under Bagby, the Boeuf road to the south of that place; while
Major, with the third, was sent to Davide's Ferry, on the river,
twenty-five miles below. Polignac's infantry, twelve hundred muskets,
was posted on the Boeuf within s