quantity of ammunition, some arms, and subsistence stores, and as they were concealed he burned the whole establishment. On the 23rd he met Captain Sutton, commissary of subsistence of the rebels, with twelve men, driving 300 head of cattle branded C. S. He killed 8 of the escort and captured the captain and 4 men, with the cattle. Owing to the close canebrakes he only succeeded in bringing home about 200 head. The expedition returned from Egg Point last night, bringing 27 horses, 32 mules, and 200 head of cattle; also 1 captain and 8 men prisoners. The rebels lost 15 killed and we did not lose a man.

Under the militia laws of the State the rebels are organizing the militia, formed of exempts. They serve, by counties, thirty days at a time. The Bolivar County militia had alreadyrm. The Washington County force was to have organized on the 24th, but the presence of this force prevented them.

Information w a battery of rifled artillery, supported, by a force of infantry and cavalry, was stationed a few miles above Bolivar with the purpose of firing on transports. It is mortifying to be this section of country when reports are made that they either give voluntarily or have taken from them at least one-half of all they get.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

N. J. T. DANA,

Major-General.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Asst. Adjt. General, Military DIVISION of WEST Mississippi

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF Vicksburg,
Vicksburg, Miss., October 13, 1864.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following summary of recent active operations in this district, comprising a series of scouts or raids into the enemy's lines from Bolivar, on the Yazoo, to Tunica Bend, on the MISSISSIPPI (east side), a distance of 500 miles, and covering the period from 21st of September, the time of original departure from Vicksburg, to 11th of October, when the forces that were out on expedition returned to their camps:

The cavalry forces which accomplished these operations were able to muster at the time of my assuming command here in the middle of August last only about 300 men effective for field service, but they moved in the recent expedition 1,100 strong.

On the 21st of September, Colonel E. D. Osband, THIRD U. S. Colored Cavalry, commanding cavalry forces at this post, went out under my direction with detachments from his command, disposing of them as follows: The battalion of THIRD U. S. Cavalry, 330 strong, commanded by Major J. B. Cook, to march from here, with one piece of artillery, cross the Yazoo near Haynes' Bluff, and beat up the country on Deer Creek as far as Egg Point. On the evening of the same day battalion of the Fifth Illinois Cavalry, commanded by Major H. P. Mumford to embark from here, with orders to land at Bolivar, about 200 miles above here, and move down Deer creek to meet the first detachment at Egg Point. These movements were made as desired, and the expedition was successful. On the 22nd Cook attacked the commands of Bradford and Montgomery, numbering 150 men, near Rolling Fork, routed and pursued them for fifteen miles, till they crossed the Sunflower. He occupied their camp at the Helen Johnson place; found there a large