Numbers 34. Report of Brigadier General John W. Geary, U. S. Army, commanding Second DIVISION.

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, TWENTIETH ARMY CORPS,
Atlanta, Ga., October 15, 1864.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following concerning the foraging expedition made in pursuance of orders from Major-General Slocum, dated October 10, 1864:

At the hour designated for starting, on the morning of the 11th, the following troops and wagons reported to me on Decatur street: Second Brigade, First DIVISION, consisting of 1,086 men, commanded by Colonel E. A. Carman; detachments from Second and THIRD Brigades, Second DIVISION, consisting of 1,050 men, commanded by Colonel H. A. Barnum; a battery of four 4-inch rifled guns, commanded by Lieutenant Sawdy, and 700 cavalry under command of Colonel Israel Garrard; the aggregate force of all arms being 2,900 men. Wagons as follows, under charge of Captain G. L. Parker, assistant quartermaster Second DIVISION: Headquarters Department of the Cumberland, 18; headquarters Twentieth Corps, 18; First DIVISION, Twentieth Corps, 83; Second DIVISION, Twentieth Corps, 110; THIRD DIVISION, Twentieth Corps, 150; cavalry DIVISION, 30; signal corps and small detachments, 11; making the total number of wagons 420, which, with the addition of 20 ambulances accompanying the troops, made the entire train consist of 440 teams. At 7 o'clock I moved out on the Atlanta and Flat Rock road, will the infantry, artillery, and train, preceded by a detachment of cavalry, the main force of the cavalry moving on parallel roads upon my right and left. The point of destination, Flat Rock, was reached by my advance at 6 p. m., the march being unmarked by any circumstances of especial note. With the exception of several small scouting parties, which fell back before my advance, no enemy was seen. The troops were encamped and the wagons parked near Barton's house on the north bank of the South River, about half a mile from the house, in a position which had previously been strengthened by rail defenses. From this position, as a depot for my wagons, my subsequent operations were made. Early on the morning of the 12th I crossed the river at Flat Rock (termed by the inhabitants Flat Shoals) and moved upon the Fayetteville road a distance of about three miles. During the day I succeeded in loading about 300 wagons, which I sent under strong guard to the depot across the river. At sunset, with the remaining wagons, I returned to the same place. About noon a party of the enemy attacked one of the cavalry outpost guarding the approaches to the field in which the wagons were loading. This attack was speedily repulsed, the loss to us being I man seriously and 1 man slightly wounded, bo Shortly before dusk the enemy again attacked another outpost, but were charged by a detachment of the Seventh Ohio Cavalry and driven back in confusion, with a loss to them of 2 men killed, about one mile and a half to their main force, which appeared 150 strong. This attack was late in the evening, and it was not practicable to get together enough of the cavalry from their widely separated posts to prosecute any pursuit. In the course of the scouting done the following day it was ascertained that the force upon which the rebel scouts driven back consisted of about 700 mounted men and two pieces of artillery. This, in all probability, is the same force reported as encamped in the vicinity of Jonesborough, McDonough,