ate report.

It is a striking feature, so far as my observation goes, of the
present volunteer army of the United States, that there is
nothing which men are called upon to do, mechanical or
professional, that accomplished adepts cannot be found for the
duty required in almost every regiment.

The transports injured in running the blockade were repaired by
order of Admiral Porter, who was supplied with the material for
such repairs as they required, and who was and is ever ready to
afford all the assistance in his power for the furtherance of the
success of our arms. In a very short time five of the transports
were in running order, and the remainder were in a condition to
be used as barges in the moving of troops. Twelve barges loaded
with forage and rations were sent in tow of the last six boats
that run the blockade; one half of them got through in a
condition to be used.

Owing to the limited number of transports below Vicksburg it was
found necessary to extend our line of travel to Hard Times,
Louisiana, which, by the circuitous route it was necessary to
take, increased the distance to about seventy miles from
Milliken's Bend, our starting point.

The thirteenth army corps being all through to the Mississippi
and the seventeenth army corps well on the way, so much of the
thirteenth as could be got on board the transports and barges
were put aboard and moved to the front of Grand Gulf on the 29th
of April. The plan here was that the navy should silence the guns
of the enemy, and the troops land under cover of the gunboats and
carry the place by storm.

At 8 o'clock A.M. the navy made the attack, and kept it up for
more than five hours in the most gallant manner. From a tug out
in the stream I witnessed the whole engagement. Many times it
seemed to me the gunboats were within pistol-shot of the enemy's
batteries. It soon became evident that the guns of the enemy were
too elevated and their fortifications too strong to be taken from
the water side. The whole range of hills on that side were known
to be lined with rifle-pits, besides the field artillery could be
moved to any position where it could be made useful in case of an
attempt at landing. This determined me to again run the enemy's
batteries, turn his position by affec