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slightly wounded in the knee with an arrow, which was the only cas ualty sustained on our side. After the work of destruction was com pleted, I returned to camp from whence I started, where I arrived at 11 a. m.

Total distance marched, twenty miles.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. THOMPSON,

Capt., First Cav., N. Mex. Vols., Commanding Company K.

Capt. A. L. ANDERSON,

Fifth U. S. Infantry, Commanding Expedition.

DECEMBER 13, 1864. - Affair near Devall's Bluff, Ark.

Report of Brig. Gen. Christopher C. Andrews, commanding Second Division, Seventh Army Corps.

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, SEVENTH ARMY CORPS,

Devall's Bluff, Ark., December 14, 1864.

CAPTAIN: An independent picket, which I had placed three miles east of here, captured 2 enlisted men of Dobbin's command last evening. They report that Taylor's company, of Dobbin's command, is to rendezvous at Coffee Creek, twenty miles from Clarendon, to-morrow. C. C. ANDREWS, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Capt. S. E. GRAVES,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Little Rock.

DECEMBER 13-14, 1864. — Expedition from Morganza to and beyond Morgan's Ferry, La.

Report of Col. John H. Kelly, One hundred and fourteenth Ohio Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. EXPEDITIONARY FORCES,

Morganza, La., December 15, 1864.

GENERAL: I have the honor to very respectfully submit the following report, viz:

In obedience to instructions from headquarters U. S. forces, dated Morganza, La., December 12, 1864, I took command of the expedition composed of the Thirty-fourth Iowa Regiment, One hundred and fourteenth Ohio Regiment, one section of the Second Massachusetts Battery, and a detachment of the Second New York Veteran Cavalry, for the purpose of escorting and supporting Major Conover, Sixteenth Indiana Mounted Infantry, and his command in crossing the Atchafalaya River. The expedition moved from Morganza, La., December 13, 1864, at 8 a. m. and advanced to Morgan's Ferry bridge. At Cattlett's, a distance of nine miles, the column was halted for dinner and to await the arrival of Major Conover and his command, which arrived about 12 m., bringing with them four pontoon-boats for the purpose of crossing the river. Major Conover and Major Bell took a party and went forward from this point to the river to reconnoiter and select the point for crossing. I detached Lieutenant-Colonel Dungan, Thirty

fourth Iowa, with them for the purpose of selecting a suitable position for the artillery and the disposition of the troops to cover the crossing after Major Conover had selected the crossing. It was arranged that the expedition would move forward within one mile of the river and halt until the place of crossing was selected and reported to me. Major Conover returned about sunset and reported that a crossing had been selected and that there were no rebel pickets near the point selected. About 7 p. m. I moved the expedition up to the river, stationed the artillery and disposed the forces, launched the boats and commenced crossing the command over at 8 p. m. The command tobecrossed over consisted of 212 men, their horses, saddles, carbines, and equipments. The means of crossing were the four boats before mentioned, each of which took four men, their saddles, bridles, equipments, &c., swimming their four horses alongside the boat. The entire command was crossed over and in readiness to move, and moved off at 12 midnight. Major Conover and I agreed upon a signal by which I could recognize him or any of his command in case they were compelled to return to the river. I then had the boats all taken out of the river and put out of view from the opposite side of the river to prevent the enemy from discovering by what means the force had crossed over. I then gave orders to the officers in charge of the artillery to report to me anything that might occur on the opposite side of the river. At 3 a. m. Major Conover and his command returned and reported that he had moved with his command about six miles down the river, encountered an impassable bayou, had a man drowned in attempting to cross over it, and that he desired me to recross his command. At 6 a. m. the boats were again launched and the crossing commenced. By 11 a. m. the command was over, the boats reloaded on the wagons, and the entire expedition in readiness to move. In crossing and recrossing Major Conover's command no accident or misfortune of any kind occurred. We met no force on our way out, neither did we encounter any at the crossing. Major Conover сарtured one prisoner whom I forwarded to the provost-marshal U. S. forces. The officers in command of the regiments, detachments, and artillery rendered efficient aid and services. The officers and troops of the entire expedition rendered aid promptly when called upon, and conducted themselves in an officer-like and soldierly manner. The expedition arrived at Morganza December 14, 6 p. m.

Respectfully submitted.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN H. KELLY,

Colonel 114th Ohio Vol. Infty., Commanding Expedition.

Brig. Gen. D. ULLMANN,

Commanding U. S. Forces.

DECEMBER 13-15, 1864. - Expedition up the White River from Devall's

Bluff, Ark.

Report of Col. Hans Mattson, Third Minnesota Infantry, commanding First Brigade, Second Division, Seventh Army Corps.

HDQRS. FIRST BRIG., SECOND DIV., SEVENTH ARMY CORPS,

Devall's Bluff, December 15, 1864. CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that in pursuance of order from the brigadier-general commanding division, I proceeded on the 13th instant on board the steamers Sir William Wallace and Kate Hart with 400 infantry and 150 cavalry up White River. I disembarked seventy-five cavalry, Captain Flesher, at Peach Orchard Bluff, at 8 o'clock that evening. Also ninety-five infantry, Capt. O. F. Dreher, at Negro Hill, and ninety-five infantry, Lieutenant Armstrong, at month of Red River, the same evening. I landed with the remainder at the point eight miles below Augusta at 1.30 o'clock the same night. I then proceeded in person with seventy-five cavalry, Captain Goss, and seventy-five infantry, Captain Taylor, to Gray's Ferry, on the Cache, ten miles east of Augusta where I got possession of the ferry and crossed the cavalry before daylight. I stationed the infantry (Captain Taylor) at the ferry, and with the cavalry scoured the country east of Cache. I got as far as Widow Thomas' place before the people or soldiers in the country had any notice of our approach, but from that place notice was spread, and immediately after all the Confederate soldiers scattered in that neighborhood, under Colonels McCray, Dobbin, Jackman, and Freeman, took to the woods and bottoms, where I could not reach them. Captain Flesher, whom I expected to have met at or near the Widow Thomas', was unable to cross the Cache at all; therefore the programme as agreed upon at my previous interview with the general, and which would otherwise have been good and successful, was materially interfered with.

The certain information gathered is that Colonels McCray and Dobbin are reorganizing their respective commands, and were to have rendezvoused on the 16th at a place six or eight miles east of Gray's Ferry; that the neighboring country is overrun by small bands of rebel soldiers and jayhawkers making their way to the proposed rendezvous; that the country abounds in corn and cattle, all of which is being gathered by those forces; that the citizens are heartily tired of these rebel marauders and anxious to have the country held by the U. S. forces. I also learn that the forces about to be organized there will probably number 500 men, mostly unarmed and short of ammunition, and that the purpose of McCray is to move south, by way of Cotton Plant, in a short time. Failing to form a junction with Captain Flesher, and finding that I could act by surprise no longer, I returned to Augusta in the afternoon of the 14th instant, where I joined Captain Flesher, who had captured a number of rebel soldiers in the country called The Point. Lieutenant-Colonel Foster, who had remained in the vicinity of Augusta with the remainder of the infantry, captured a lot of contraband goods on their way from Memphis to the west side of White River. I am convinced that an extensive contraband trade is carried on at Memphis with that part of the country at enormous profits (such as a bale of cotton for a barrel of salt) to the parties at Memphis engaged in it. The articles captured were 10 barrels salt, 1 barrel pork, one-half barrel molasses, which I learned had been smuggled through from Memphis by a party there named B. F. Leamice to one E. G. Donnelly, of White County, Ark.

On my return I left Augusta at 4 o'clock this morning, took on the troops at Red River and Negro Hill, who had captured some prisoners at or near West Point and at the salt-works. I learned that Captain Rayborne is in the country about White River, below Red River, and that the salt-works are being run per order of rebel General Shelby for the Confederate cause. This I did not learn till after I had returned below these works, or I should have destroyed them. We were fired into by a party of perhaps a dozen men (probably Rayborne's) six miles below Red River to-day, but no damage was done. No accident occurred during the trip. The officers and men all behaved with the

utmost promptitude and good order, and I deem it a great pleasure to testify especially to the energy, vigilance, and good and orderly behavior of the command of Captain Goss, Ninth Kansas Cavalry, which I had the best opportunity to observe, being constantly near them. We captured during the trip* 5 Confederate officers, 24 Confederate soldiers, 3 bad disloyal citizens, 28 horses of rebel soldiers. We also destroyed a number of small-arms found in the hands of rebel soldiers, and which we could not conveniently carry. Finding that the ferry on the Cache was used more by the citizens for their convenience than by the rebel soldiers, and also that it might hereafter prove of value to our own forces, I did not destroy it. The citizens of Augusta, especially the known loyalists, are suffering much at the hands of jayhawkers.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. MATTSON,

Colonel Third Minnesota Vol. Infty., Comdg. Brigade.

Capt. GEORGE MONROE,

Asst. Adjt. Gen., Second Division, Seventh Army Corps.

DECEMBER 14, 1864. Skirmish in the Cypress Swamp, near Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Report of Col. John B. Rogers, Second Missouri State Militia Cavalry.

HEADQUARTERS SUB-DISTRICT,

Cape Girardeau, Mo., December 15, 1864.

GENERAL: Captain Tanner, commanding at Commerce, killed 3 guerrillas and took their arms in Cypress Swamp yesterday. One escaped. No prisoners.

J. B. ROGERS,
Colonel, Commanding.

General EWING,

Commanding.

DECEMBER 14, 1864-JANUARY 5, 1865. - Operations in the vicinity of
Hermitage Plantation, near Morganza, La.

Report of Capt. W. Irving Allen, Thirty-first Massachusetts Infantry.

HDQRS. THIRTY-FIRST MASS. VOL. MOUNTED INFTY.,

Hermitage Plantation, La., January 7, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this command since my report of December 14:

Information has been brought to me that a small party of rebel soldiers was camping during the daytime in the canebrake behind the plantations on College Point and by night committing depredations along the coast. They had even gone so far as to take Doctor Trudeau, a highly respectable citizen, from his bed at night and with a rope about his neck try to extort from him money and valuables. On the night of December 14 I sent a scouting party from the company at

* Nominal list omitted,

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Manning's plantation to find this camp. They found it just deserted, and captured but 2 prisoners. This expedition at least discovered and broke up their hiding-place, and for some time they did not appear again on the coast. Soon after this I learned that at an obscure settlement on Black Bayou, between New and Amite Rivers, a number of men from Doyal's and Gonzales' companies had a rendezvous where they lay in safety while we were scouting the ordinary roads and whence they came at other times to make conscriptions and plunder about the lower end of New River. This place is known as Seals Point, and I had much difficulty in finding a guide to it, as it was away from all the commonly used roads and no Federal scout had ever been there. On the night of December 17 I had a party of thirty men organized under three guides and sent them under Capt. L. C. Howell to explore the terra incognita. They marched all night, crossing New River at Baptiste Laundry's bridge and Black Bayou, about four miles beyond, over roads almost impassable, and reached the place just before daylight. Taking immediate possession of every house, they found concealed in various places five soldiers and brought them in the next day. The same night I sent another party to scout the upper end of the New River country between the Dutch Stores and Hampton's Ferry, on Bayou Manchac. They brought in 2 prisoners on the next day. Both of these men were noted characters, being Confederate soldiers who had joined a jayhawking gang under the lead of one John King. Their robberies had for some time made the common roads in that region a terror even to peaceable travelers. It is only within the last few days that this gang has been heard from since. Both the scouting parties on this night were instructed by what different roads to go and return, and in this way almost the whole of the country on this side of Amite River was scoured in a night.

On the night of the 18th I received information that a body of 150 men, under Doyal, would start that morning from Livingston Parish, cross Amite River at some of the lower ferries, and come in to sweep the New River settlements and upper coast plantations. I determined to meet them, if possible, in time to defeat their object, and accordingly took the available strength of the command to the lower end of New River. Calculating that they must first appear on the lower end of New River I posted my main force near the Baptist church, picketed all the bridges, and sent small reconnoitering parties toward Amite River. These captured 2 prisoners, and brought word that no force had yet appeared on Amite River. Determining to watch for them still longer I sent one company to each of the ferries where they might be expected, viz, at the French settlement at Scivique's, McGill's, and Hampton's Ferries. During the night a small party appeared at Scivique's Ferry, reconnoitered the crossing, and went away. I believe the information on which I acted was premature, but that our movement prevented them from crossing later, as such a force did appear two days after on the Amite, near the French settlement, and after remaining a day or two went away, apparently fearing to cross. Since that time no important scouts have been made. One effect of our work, I think, has since been seen in the number of rebel soldiers who have come into our lines voluntarily and applied to take the oath of allegiance. Since December 22 eleven men of this description have been sent by me to the provost-marshal at Donaldsonville to take the oath under the President's amnesty proclamation. They are citizens of the New River country, and came from the various commands with Scott. On the night of January 2 a small scout from our lower company captured 1

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