I organized a battalion of Skirmishers composed of Co C of the 11th and Co.s A and F of the 15th. No company of the 18th was armed with rifles and therefore none was taken from that regiment for skirmishers. I assigned to the command of this battalion Maj N J Caraway of the 11th.

I notified the commanders of regiments in person that we would certainly have a fight; placed the 15th on the right wing, because it was armed with Enfield rifles, the 11th on the left and the 18th in the center, and having summoned E Jones senior Surgeon of my command directed him to make his arrangements for an action.

These preparations being hastily made two miles South of Opelousas, we took up the line of march towards the enemy; encamped at the south end of the belt of woods on the west side of Bayou Bourbeux on the Old Grand Coteau Road. there being woods on the left of the road for one and a half miles back to the Cavinque Farm, with fields or prairie on the right. At the south end of that farm we found the enemy's pickets, shooting down the lane in which the road runs, at our own pickets. Having, at this farm, been informed by the Brigdr Genl Comdg that my command would constitute his left, and instructed to force the pickets from the end of the lane and form in the woods beyond the farm and steadily advance upon the enemy with my right on the road, I sent out the mounted flankers to the right and left, and directed Maj Caraway to throw out a line of Skirmishers for a hundred yards long on each side of the lane, and reserve the balance and deploy them as my line was formed; and commenced the advance by the right flank.

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Confederate Memorial Hall, New Orleans. "A Celebration of New Beginnings", a fundraiser commemorating the acquisition of Memorial Hall by 929 Camp Street Museum, Inc. will be held December 5, 1998. An oil painting of President Jefferson Davis by Clyde Heron, donated by Mr. Bryan Hutcheson and the flag of the 8th Louisiana Infantry restored through the efforts of Company B, 8th Louisiana Infantry Reenactment Group will be unveiled. Contact Memorial Hall at (504)523-4522 for ticket information.