Excepting one piece of bacon, not an article of property belonging to a citizen was touched. The country from Viola to Mayfield, and particularly from Mayfield to Camp Beauregard, is of such a character as to render fighting with cavalry almost impossible. It is one long stretch of scrub-oak and dense chaparral, broken now and then by a farm or clearing. On account of the scarcity of water it would be difficult also to march a heavy column through.

Very respectfully,

LEW. WALLACE,

General, Second Brigade.

Captain THOMAS J. NEWSHAM,

Assistant Adjutant-General, U. S. Forces, Paducah.

JANUARY 10-21, 1862.-Expedition into Kentucky from Cairo, Ill.

Report of Brigadier General John A. McClerland, U. S. Army.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF CAIRO,
Cairo, Ill., January 24, 1862.

SIR: Being in temporary command of this district, it becomes my duty to submit the following report of the expedition which left Cairo under orders to penetrate into the interior of Kentucky in the neighborhood of Columbus and towards Mayfield and Camp Beauregard

The expedition consisted of the Tenth, Eighteenth, part of the Twenty-seventh, the Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth, Thirty-first, and Forty-eighth Regiments of Infantry, Schwartz's and Dresser's batteries of light artillery, under command of Captain Schwarz, chief of artillery; Carmichael's, O'Harnett's, and Dollins' companies of cavalry, attached to regiments; Stewart's cavalry company, attached to my brigade, and five companies of Colonel T. Lyle Dickey's Fourth Cavalry Regiment, numbering 3,992, of cavalry 1,061, and of artillery 139, rank and file, all under my command, and all Illinois volunteers except Schwartz's battery of light artillery.

The cavalry which had crossed the river and encamped at Fort Holt on the evening of the 9th, marched on the morning of the 10th to Fort Jefferson, Captain Stewart, with is company, being in the advance. On arriving he detained in custody all persons found at that place, and immediately sent forward pickets to guard the pass at Elliott's Mill and other approaches from Columbus. The remainder of the forces, conveyed by transports, arrived at Fort Jefferson on the same day (10th) ad encamped, awaiting further orders. On the 11th I ordered a reconnaissance east to Blandville, by the Hill road, 8 miles; thence south, on the road to Columbus, to Weston's, 5 miles, and returning by Elliott's Mill to Fort Jefferson, 9 miles. This reconnaissance was made by Captain Stewart, in command of his own company, and Company B (Captain Collins), of the Fourth Cavalry. No armed enemy was encountered, but captures of L. T. Polk and Daniel Frazer, supposed to be couriers from Columbus, were made. No United States forces having previously approached so near Columbus, the inhabitants uniformly mistook our cavalry for rebel troops.

On the 12th I ordered a demonstration to be made in the direction of Columbus by six companies of cavalry, commanded by Captain Stewart, supported by the Tenth and Eighteenth Regiments of Infantry, commanded respectively by Colonels Morgan and Lawler. The infantry,