On returning to the steamer Guide was found that Professor Mallefert had blown up the barrier, so as to clear a channel some 60 feet wide. At 6 o'clock same evening weighed anchor and started for New Berne, where we arrived on the afternoon of the following day (21st instant).

Your obedient servant,

THOS. G. STEVENSON,

Colonel Twenty-fourth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers.

Captain SOUTHARD HOFFMAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

MARCH 23-APRIL 26, 1862.-Siege of Fort Macon, N. C.

REPORTS.

No. 1.-Major General Ambrose E. Burnside, U. S. Army.

No. 2.-Brigadier General John G. Parke, U. S. Army.

No. 3.-Lieutenant Daniel W. Flagler, U. S. Ordnance Department.

No. 4.-Lieutenant Merrick F. Prouty, Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Infantry.

No. 5.-Captain Lewis O. Morris, First U. S. Artillery.

No. 6.-Colonel Isaac P. Rodman, Fourth Rhode Island Infantry.

No. 7.-Lieutenant William J. Andrews, Ninth New York Infantry, Acting Signal Officer.

No. 8.-Colonel Moses J. White, C. S. Army.

No. 1. Reports of Major General Ambrose E. Burnside, U. S. Army.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA,
New Berne, N. C., April 17, 1862.

I have the honor to report the following movements in this department since my last dispatch:

Owing to the absence of engines and cars on the railroad and the burning of the bridges by the enemy the work of General Parke at Fort Macon has proved to be exceedingly difficult. The rebuilding of the bridges was necessarily done under the protection of a large guard, and the enemy's cavalry made frequent visits to the road, and I have no cavalry to compete with them. Our losses have been but slight during the work, amounting in all to some 10 or 12 pickets.

On the 7th instant Colonel Egloffstein, One hundred and third New York, was ordered to make a reconnaissance up the Trent in the direction of Onslow County, and I afterward ordered him to continue his reconnaissance down the road leading from Trenton to Core Sound, at the mouth of White Oak River, and then to proceed up the shore of Core Sound and communicate with General Parke at Morehead city. This I did with a hope that we might be able to catch a portion of the enemy's cavalry, the headquarters of which were at Swansborough, from whence they sent detachments over to the railroad, thus making the duty of guarding the 36 miles of railroad from this place to Caroline City very onerous. The colonel started with 200 picket men, two days' rations, and no transportation, with instructions to ration his men from supplies found on the route. He yesterday reached General Parke's headquarters, having had several skirmishes with the