Brigadier General Hugh T. Reid, Headquarters Post of Providence

Providence, La., July 6, 1863

Operations in Northern Louisiana.
Report of Brig. Gen. Hugh T. Reid, U.S. Army, of action (9th) near Lake Providence and attack (30th) on Goodrich's Landing.
 

HEADQUARTERS POST OF PROVIDENCE,
July 6, 1863.

COLONEL: On the 29th ultimo, the rebels from the other side of Bayou Macon came in near the Wilton plantation, at the Mounds, and made an attack there and at Goodrich's Landing, capturing two companies of the First Arkansas Volunteers (of African descent) at the Mounds and burning every gin-house and negro quarter on their way toward this point. They also burned many of the dwelling-houses. Hearing through negroes that a fight was going on at the Mounds, I sent out the First Kansas Mounted Regiment to meet them, which they did 5 miles below town, in the woods, but found them too strong, and had to fall back, skirmishing to within 3 miles of town, where the progress of the enemy was stopped. Soon after they had stopped following our men, a fleet of transports, with two gunboats, came in sight from above, but one of the Marine Brigade boats happened to be in advance, and could not be stopped at the landing, but fired one of its popguns at the rebels, which frightened them off at once and prevented them being coaxed into town, and also prevented the gunboats getting a chance at them.
In the skirmish we had one lieutenant (Becker), of the First Kansas, killed, Lieutenant Thompson severely wounded in the foot, and 2 privates wounded. The rebels report 5 or 6 killed, including two captains.
We have had for some time a strong fortification on the river in front of the town made of earthworks and cotton bales, and if we had any artillery could make a defense against a large force. We have just received a section of artillery, and have had a gunboat here for two or three days.
The rebels have a force on the west of the bayou variously estimated at from 5,000 to 9,000 men, under command of Major-General [J. G.] Walker, of Texas. Part of the force is lately from Price's army, at Little Rock, and it was a part of [W. H.] Parsons' brigade of cavalry which did the mischief in this vicinity.

H. T. REID,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Lieut. Col. W. T. CLARK,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., Seventeenth Army Corps.

SOURCE: United States War Department. THE WAR OF THE REBELLION: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1880-1901.