SIR: I have the honor to report that on Sunday, the 11th instant, having sent forward all my troops, partly in cars and mostly by land, owing to the small capacity of the railroad, I started in a special train with my personal staff and the battalion of the Thirteenth U.S. Regulars, Capt. C. C. Smith commanding. At 12 noon we reached Collierville, and, observing signs of danger, the train was stopped.
      Colonel Anthony, of the Sixty-sixth Indiana, Commanded at Col-lierville, and soon reported that his pickets had that moment been either captured or driven in by a large force of Confederate cavalry. I directed the regulars to get off the cars, and the train to back to the depot. A flag of truce was seen approaching from the direction of the enemy, and Colonel Anthony, who met it, sent me word, by Captain Dayton, of my staff, that General Chalmers, of the Confederate Army, had sent his adjutant to demand the surrender of the place. I instructed him to return an emphatic negation, and at once made preparations to resist the attack. The battalion of regulars consisted of eight small companies, aggregate, 260, and Colonel Anthony had six companies of the Sixty-sixth Indiana, aggregate, 240. These were disposed, three companies of the regulars in the ditch outside a small earth-work near the depot, and the balance in the wood near the railroad cut, to the east and south of the fort. One company of the Sixty-sixth Indiana was inside the fort, one in the depot building, and the balance outside in the wood to the west and south, and in rifle-pits behind the fort near their regimental camp.
      The enemy at once opened with artillery from a ridge overlooking our entire position, throwing canister, 6-pounder round shot, and rifled solid projectiles. They also threw a few shells at us, but their artillery fire was principally aimed at our train, disabling the locomotive and damaging some of the cars, killing and wounding 8 of our horses. Two columns passed the railroad on either side of us, breaking the telegraphic wire, and burning three small trestles of the railroad. A pretty brisk fire of small-arms was kept up for a couple of hours, the enemy approaching under cover of the ground, woods, and depot building to within about 75 yards of the fort, but at no time did he attempt to assault the fort. We had no artillery, and had to confine our attention to the defense of the fort, depot building containing the supplies of the garrison, and our own train. In this we succeeded. Lieutenant James, Third U.S. Cavalry, acting ordnance officer on my staff, organized the unarmed clerks and orderlies with some soldiers who had taken passage with us on the train, and undertook to protect the train, which extended well to the rear of the depot, and was sheltered from the fire of the fort by that building. He made a sally and charge on the enemy, receiving a very severe wound. He is a very enthusiastic and meritorious young officer, and his loss to the service at this time is a serious one.
      Toward the close of the action, the enemy had got possession of some of the rear cars and had taken out 5 of our horses, and carried off some overcoats and parcels left in the cars. They set fire to the rear car, but a sally from the fort, made by a company of regulars, led by Lieutenant Griffin, drove them off, and the party extinguished the fire. The enemy drew off about 3 p.m., leaving on the ground about 10 dead, but their ambulances were seen removing dead and wounded. From wounded prisoners left in our hands, and a Confederate surgeon, we learned that General Chalmers was in command and his force was entirely a mounted one, composed of five regiments numbering from 2,500 to 3,000, with four guns.
      Colonel Anthony will make a detailed report, also Capt. C. C. Smith, from which you will see that our aggregate loss was about 20 killed, about 50 wounded, and as many missing, consisting chiefly of the pickets and sick men taken from the cars, who were not in the fight.
      There is no doubt our opportune arrival and the efforts of the regulars saved the place, and prevented the enemy capturing our force at Collierville, with its store of supplies, and, what is of more importance, the railroad at that point.
      I avail myself of the opportunity to record my high appreciation of the services of this small but devoted battalion. They have served near my person for about a year, and have been subjected to every sort of test, and have proven equal to them all. At the fight at Chickasaw, at Arkansas Post, at Deer Creek, at the assault on Vicksburg May 19, at Jackson, Miss., and now at Collierville, always at the most exposed point, they have suffered terribly, having lost in battle fully one-half their original number.
      I commend all officers and men to the notice of their Government, and cannot discriminate among the company officers without doing injustice to others. The present commander of the battalion, Capt. C. C. Smith, has been once severely wounded and has labored hard and most successfully in keeping up the discipline and tone of the battalion, and should be rewarded.
      Indeed, all the officers present deserve a brevet, and those who are absent, on fancy duty far to the rear, should hasten to share with their comrades the exposure, labor, and risks, which these who are present have borne so well, gaining fame and reputation which the whole regiment will enjoy.
      The moment the enemy retired I gave the necessary directions for the repairs of road and wires; and General Corse's division, then marching out from Memphis, having reached Collierville, I ordered it to march by way of Mount Pleasant to drive to the south any cavalry force lingering there. And next day, the 12th, I came on to Corinth to push on the organization and supplies necessary for the movement on which I am engaged.
      I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

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