No demonstration beyond the usual blockade was made by the enemy until Sunday, March 2, about 9 a.m. A bark, bearing French colors, appeared in the offing and hoisted signals for a pilot, whereupon Lieut. Col. D. P. Holland went out to her with a white flag, taking with him 6 soldiers of the fourth Florida Regiment. She proved to be a Federal vessel, and they were captured by the perfidious craft and taken off. I have the happiness to state that they have since been released and are again at their post.

Send the Fourth Florida and all of Bradshaw's available men to General Forrest immediately. Send special messenger to Major Montgomery at Camp Randolph, near Calhoun, and order him to send Forrest a field battery if he has one ready to take the field.

The Fourth Florida and Sixtieth North Carolina encountered serious difficulty at a burnt house (Cowan's) on the left of the turnpike from fences and other obstacles, and were, for a little while, thrown into some confusion. Here for several minutes they were exposed to a destructive and partially enfilading fire at short range of artillery and infantry; but they were soon rallied by their gallant brigade commander, and, rushing with cheers across the intervening space, entered the cedar glade. The enemy had retired from the cedars, and was in position in a field to the front and right. By changing the front of the command slightly forward to the right, my line was brought parallel to that of the enemy, and was formed near the edge of the cedars.

The First and Third Florida, on the extreme left, pressed forward to the cedar forest with but little loss. The two central regiments (the Sixtieth North Carolina and Fourth Florida) found great difficulty in pressing through the ruins and strong inclosures of the farm-house, and, retarded by these obstacles and by a fire from the enemy's sharpshooters in front, and a very fierce cannonade, partially enfilading their lines, were for a moment thrown into confusion at the verge of the wood. They halted and commenced firing, but, being urged forward, they responded with loud shouts and gained the cedars. The enemy turned upon the wood a heavy fire from many pieces of artillery, across a field 400 or 500 yards distant, and, though we lost some valuable lives, the brigade maintained its position with firmness in the edge of the wood.

The Fourth Florida in both actions bore itself gallantly, and was ably commanded by Colonel Bowen.

After driving the first line of the enemy to his support, and hotly engaging him for a time, our first line withdrew, and after they had passed through our line to the rear we opened fire, and such was the obstinacy with which our men contended for the supremacy that the best body of the opposing army was held in check for a considerable time; but at length the line began to yield on our left and then on our right, and I mean to detract nothing from other gallant regiments by saying that I soon found the Fourth Florida almost entirely abandoned by the rest of the line. The men still continued to fire with that deliberate accuracy that characterizes the Florida woodsman, and, I am satisfied, with much effect, for we sent a large number of prisoners to the rear, which I estimated at not less than 200.