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CAMP, NEAR CORINTH, Miss.,
April 10, 1862.

COLONEL: On the morning of the 6th the Fourth Louisiana went into the engagement with about 575 men, rank and file. All the commissioned officers were present and participated in the engagement except Lieutenants [R. H.] Turnbull, [A.] Blum, and [G. C.] Lemmon, absent on sick furlough.

While drawn up in line of battle and awaiting orders a Tennessee regiment immediately in our rear fired into us by mistake, killing and wounding a large number of my men. This was a terrible blow to the regiment; far more terrible than any inflicted by the enemy. It almost demoralized the regiment, who from that moment seemed to dread their friends much more than their enemies. At the command to advance we charged up the hill into an almost impenetrable thicket. The enemy opened a deadly fire, which was quickly returned.

During the engagement Colonel [James F.] Fagan, of the First Arkansas, sent word to Capt. H. M. Favrot, of the Delta Rifles, For Gods sake to cease firing; that we were killing his men and he was killing ours. Captain [H. M.] Favrot, being on the extreme right, gave the order to cease firing. While in this position a murderous fire of grape and canister was poured into us from the masked batteries and rifle pits.

The regiment retired, formed again, and again charged. Here fell many of my bravest and best men in the thick brushwood without ever seeing the enemy. The young but gallant Capt. J. T. Hilliard, commanding Company I, Hunter Rifles, was killed here. Here fell Capts. J. B. Taylor and W. F. Pennington, and Lieuts. E. C. Holmes, S. Aillet, and B. Landry, Captain [J. B.] Taylor being most fearfully wounded. In this position we remained firing volley after volley until the enemy had ceased his firing.

By order of General Bragg I took position on the hill, and at a later hour marched the regiment to the last scene of action and remained till ordered to retire to camp.

Monday, the 7th, having suffered from loss of blood and intense pain, I placed the regiment under the command of Lient. Col. S. E. Hunter, and rode over to the hospital to get relief. After having my wound dressed I was about lying down, in order to take a little rest, when a general stampede of wagons, ambulances, and men began. I mounted my horse immediately and rode after the disgraceful refugees. I succeeded in putting a stop to the stampede, and placed cavalry in the rear, with orders to cut down all who attempted to pass.

Here I met an aide of General Bragg, who ordered me to rally all the stragglers and form them in line. This I did. After forming a battalion Lieut. Col. Robert H. Barrow, commanding the Eleventh Louisiana, came to me with a remnant of his regiment and placed himself and regiment under my command. This force, together with the remnants of two Alabama and one Tennessee regiment, made a large body of men, who stood firm in front of the hospitals, ready to receive the advancing columns of the enemy.

While rallying the stragglers I came across two batteries that had lost all their commissioned officers. These I took possession of, sent for ammunition, supplied them with men from my command, and sent one of them to General Bearregard. This battery fired the last shots against the enemy. The other battery and the forces under my command held their position in the very face of the enemy until ordered to be retired by command of General Bragg.

The regiment went into action on the morning of the 7th under command of Lieutenant-Colonel [S. E.] Hunter. The officers and men fought the whole day under his command, and behaved, as I am informed, with much gallantry under most trying circumstances.

On this day fell Capt. C. E. Tooraen, of the West Feliciana Rifles, fighting at the head of his company. He was the bravest of the brave, and in his death our country has sustained a serious loss.

I cannot particularize the daring acts of officers and men. The whole regiment acted throughout the engagements of the 6th and 7th, with a few exceptions, with great gallantry.

I cannot close this report without honorable mention of my regimental color-bearer, Benjamin W. Clarke, and the color guard, D. B. Gorham, T. H. Corcoran, and R. Turner. For two long days, amid shot and shell and a hail-storm of balls, they held the flag firm and erect, and brought it back torn into tatters by the bullets of the enemy.

The loss of the regiment is as follows, viz: Killed, 2 officers (Captains [C. E.] Tooraen and [J. T.] Hilliard) and 22 men; wounded, 12 officers (Captains [W. F.] Pennington, [J. B.] Taylor, and J. H. Wingfield, and Lieutenants [E. C.] Holmes, J. J. Adams, [S.] Aillet, [B.] Landry, [G. W.] Smith, [Hector] Latil, H. M. Carter, B. M. Amacker, R. Y. Burton, and S. W. Skolfield) and 151 men; and missing, 1 officer (Lieut. D. C. Jenkins) and 21 men; total loss, 209.

H. W. ALLEN, Colonel,
Commanding Fourth Louisiana.