the gratifying intelligence of the complete success of the expedition alluded to in my dispatch of yesterday, including the destruction of the rebel gunboat Cotton. That gallant and energetic officer is again entitled to the thanks of the general commanding this department for the skillful manner in which he has performed the task confided to him.

Very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

N. P. BANKS,

Major-General, Commanding.

Major GeneralH. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

[Inclosure.]

BERWICK BAY-6 p.m.

[Received, New Orleans, January 15, 1863-9 p.m.]

General N. P. BANKS,

Commanding Department of the Gulf.

I have just returned. We have accomplished the object of our expedition. The Confederate States gunboat Cotton is one of the things that were. We lost 4 killed and 14 wounded. My men behaved magnificently. I am recrossing the bay.

G. WEITZEL,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers.

No. 2. Report of BrigadierGeneralGodfrey Weitzel, U. S. Army, commanding expedition.

HEADQUARTERS RESERVE BRIGADE, Camp Stevens, La., January 18, 1863.

COLONEL: Having during the whole of week before last heard reports from different sources that the enemy was meditating an attack on my forces at Berwick Bay, and that he was increasing the armament of the rebel gunboat J. A. Cotton, both in caliber and number, and knowing that this gunboat would be a very large element in the attack, I considered it my duty, in co-operation with our gunboat fleet in Berwick Bay, under LieutenantCommander T. McK. Buchanan, to make an expedition to capture, destroy, or cause to be destroyed, this gunboat.

I concentrated all my troops for the expedition, consisting of the Twenty-first Indiana, Major Hays; Sixth Michigan, Colonel Clark; Eighth Vermont, Colonel Thomas; Twelfth Connecticut, Major Peck; Seventy-fifth New York, Lieutenant-Colonel Babcock; One hundred and sixtieth New York, Colonel Dwight; Twenty-third Connecticut, Colonel Holmes; four pieces of Battery A, First Artillery, and two pieces of Fourth Massachusetts Battery, under command of CaptainE. C. Bainbridge, Fifth Artillery; First Maine Battery, Lieutenant Bradbury; Sixth Massachusetts Battery, Captain Carruth; Company B, Louisiana Cavalry, Captain Barrett, and Company B, Eighth New Hampshire, Lieutenant Camp, acting as provost-guard at Brashear City.

On Tuesday morning at 3 o'clock the gunboats commenced crossing the artillery and cavalry and completed it at 10.30 o'clock, and then took on board all the infantry. The whole force was disembarked and formed in line of battle at Pattersonville. Lieutenant-Commander Buchanan then made a reconnaissance, and upon his return I advanced my