and 54 men. Woodville post-office and telegraph office, with Richmond dates of the 4th and instruments, taken. I send you the telegrams and some dispatches by a tug. We have not lost a man thus far, and only 4 horses were killed. Our spoils, together with several hundred head of stock and several hundred negroes, are at Fort Adams in safety. Scott was making preparations for an attack on my forces this morning.

N. J. T. DANA,

Major-General.

Major-General CANBY.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF Vicksburg,
Natchez, Miss., October 7, 1864-2 p. m.

As before reported, I landed 1,300 cavalry and four guns, with 500 infantry, at Tunica a daylight on the morning of the 5th. They marched to Pinckneyville, and from there the cavalry and artillery, under Colonel E. D. Osband, moved to Woodville, whilst the infantry, under Colonel Kent, Twenty-ninth Illinois Volunteers, marched to Fort Adams. Early in the morning of the 6th Colonel Osband discovered that Colonel Gober, with a command of about 250 men and a battery of three guns, was encamped about two miles from him, and he immediately marched on him and succeeded in surrounding him in a piece of woods, where he killed 40, captured the battery, with Captain Holmes, who commanded it, a lieutenant, and 54 men. Colonel Osband, being hampered with a large number of contrabands, besides a considerable herd of stock, and his captured guns and prisoners, thought it best to fall back to Fort Adams to turn them over to Colonel Kent. Last night he was encamped four miles from Fort Adams on the road to Woodville, and intended to march again to Woodville this morning, unless he was attacked by Scott, who followed him. The telegraph instruments and dispatches, as well as the mail at the post-office at Woodville, were captured, and I herewith inclose telegrams* from Richmond to include the 4th instant. I hear unofficially that Major Cook, with the THIRD U. S. Cavalry (colored), captured the battery.

Colonel Farrar, with 1,000 infantry and two guns, is on he Homochitto, and I have not ye heard from him.

I requested Brigadier General M. K. Lawler to land a force at Bayou Sara and make a diversion toward Clinton and Woodville in my favor. I am informed that he did so, and that artillery firing was heard near Bayou Sara all day on the 5th.

I am glad to inform you that thus far my whole loss may be summed up in 4 horses killed.

Very respectfully,

N. J. T. DANA,

Major-General.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Asst. Adjt. General, Military DIVISION of WEST Mississippi.

ADDENDA.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DISTRICT OF Vicksburg, NUMBERS 60.
Vicksburg, Miss., October 12, 1864.

It is the pleasant duty of the major-general commanding to make acknowledgment of the very creditable services of the cavalry of this

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*Omitted as unimportant.

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