Immediatestepswerenowtakentoremovethecoal—barge，whichwasaccomplishedaboutdaylightonSundaymorning，whenthefleetmovedbacktowardBlackBayou。Bythreeo’clockp。m。wehadonlymadeaboutsixmiles，owingtothelargenumberoftreestoberemoved;
atthispoint，whereourprogresswasveryslow，wediscoveredalonglineoftheenemyfilingalongtheedgeofthewoods，andtakingpositiononthecreekbelowus，andaboutonemileaheadofouradvance。Shortlyafter，theyopenedfireonthegunboatsfrombatteriesbehindthecavalryandinfantry。Theboatsnotonlyrepliedtothebatteries，whichtheysoonsilenced，butpouredadestructivefireintotheirlines。Heavyskirmishingwasalsoheardinourfront，supposedtobebythreecompaniesfromtheSixthandEighthMissouri，whoseposition，takenthepreviousnighttoguardthecreek，wasbeyondthepointreachedbytheenemy，andconsequentlyliabletobecutofforcaptured。CaptainOwen，oftheLouisville，theleadingboat，madeeveryefforttogothroughtheobstructionsandaidintherescuingofthemen。IorderedMajorKirby，withfourcompaniesoftheSixthMissouri，forward，withtwocompaniesdeployed。HesoonmetGeneralSherman，withtheThirteenthInfantryandOneHundredandThirteenthIllinois，drivingtheenemybeforethem，andopeningcommunicationalongthecreekwiththegunboats。Insteadofourthreecompaniesreferredtoasengagingtheenemy，GeneralShermanhadarrivedataveryopportunemomentwiththetworegimentsmentionedabove，andtheSecondBrigade。Theenemy，notexpectinganattackfromthatquarter，aftersomehotskirmishing，retreated。GeneralShermanimmediatelyorderedtheThirteenthInfantryandOneHundredandThirteenthIllinoistopursue;but，afterfollowingtheirtraceforabouttwomiles，theywererecalled。
Wecontinuedourmarchforabouttwomiles，whenwebivouackedforthenight。EarlyonMondaymorning（March22d）wecontinuedourmarch，butowingtotheslowprogressofthegunboatsdidnotreachHill’splantationuntilTuesday，the23dinstant，whereweremaineduntilthe25th;wethenreembarked，andarrivedatYoung’sPointonFriday，the27thinstant。
Belowyouwillfindalistofcasualties。Veryrespectfully，GilesA。SMITH，ColonelEighthMissouri，commandingFirstBrigade。
P。S。—IforgottostateabovethattheThirteenthInfantryandOneHundredandThirteenthIllinoisbeingundertheimmediatecommandofGeneralSherman，hecanmentionthemastheirconductdeserves。