companies of cavalry, six companies of infantry in wagons, under Lieutenant-Colonel Pardee, of the Tenth Connecticut Volunteers, and two sections of artillery, under Lieutenant Pope of the Rhode Island Artillery. On reaching the forks of the Trenton and Kinston road, after driving in the enemy's pickets, they turned toward Trenton, where, after a skirmish with a company of the enemy's cavalry, routing them and capturing several of their number, they burned the bridge over the Trent. The force then countermarched to the forks of the road and advanced about 5 miles in the direction of Kinston, capturing on the way about 15 of the enemy's pickets, when, upon signals received from the boats that the river expedition was on the return to New Berne, this force also returned.

The expeditions having returned only a few hours ago, this report is necessarily without particulars and brief; in my next I shall be able to give a more complete account of the same.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. G. FOSTER,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA,
New Berne, August 10, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I have the honor to inform you that since my report of the 7th instant the health of the command has continued to improve, notwithstanding the great heat of the weather.

A brief mention was made of the three last reconnaissances in my last communication. The subsequent and full reports have demonstrated that the reconnaissances, both by land and water, were complete, obtaining full and correct information the position of the enemy without the loss of a single man. These reconnaissances have had the effect of causing the enemy to withdraw their pickets to within 5 miles of Kinston, thereby putting an end to the harassing practice of picket firing.

Owing to the heat of the weather it will be impossible for the next month or six weeks to make any more expeditions except by means of night m arches and by water. These expeditions I shall keep u continually in order to draw as much as possible from the forces at Richmond, as it is of importance for them to preserve their security in this State.

I am now organizing two expeditions, one, to be composed of a party of horsemen, aided by the gunboats, to go into Hyde County, to arrest some violent secessionists, who have been persecuting the Union citizens; the other, to be composed of light-draught gunboats and transports, to go through Bogue Sound and to White Oak River, to scour those waters and to break up all the salt-works which are at present known to be in active operation there.*

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. G. FOSTER,

Major-General, Commanding.

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*Some matters of detail omitted.

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