NOVEMBER 16-19, 1863.- Expedition from Yorktown into Matthews County, Va.

REPORTS.

Numbers 1.- Brigadier General Isaac J. Wistar, U. S. Army.

Numbers 2.- Lieutenant Colonel George M. Guion, One hundred and forty-eighth New York Infantry, commanding expedition.

Numbers 1. Report of Brigadier General Isaac J. Wistar, U. S. Army.

HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES FORCES,
Yorktown, Va., November 19, 1863.

MAJOR: I have the honor to report the safe return of the expedition sent out under command of Lieutenant Colonel George M. Guion to Matthews County, Va., without loss of any kind. Colonel guion captured 16 prisoners, being mostly officers and seamen of the Confederate navy, with arms and a few papers. I have the honor to send down herewith the prisoners and papers. The arms will be turned in to the ordnance department here. The enemy before surrendering destroyed one howitzer. A number of Union refugees came in with our troops, to escape conscription by the rebels.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

I. J. WISTAR,

Brigadier-General.

Major R. S. DAVIS,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Fort Monroe.

Numbers 2. Report of Lieutenant Colonel George M. Guion, One hundred and forty-eighth New York Infantry, commanding expedition.

HEADQUARTERS 148TH NEW YORK,
Yorktown, Va., November 20, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that, in obedience to your orders, I left this post on Monday, November 16, on board the gunboat Morse, Captain Babcock, with 450 men of my regiment.

At 7 p. m. we arrived at the headwaters of the East River, and the whole force at once landed in small boats. As rapidly as the different companies could land I started them in succession for Matthews Court-House, where I remained until 4 o'clock on the morning of the 17th, and then sent two companies, under command of Lieutenant Gilchrist, down the main road, with instructions to scour the country and report to the Morse, at New Point Comfort. The remaining seven companies I pushed on to within about 5 miles of Scuffletown, thoroughly scouring the country, and destroying eighteen or twenty boats on the Piankatank River. Learning that there was supposed to be a party of guerrillas on or near Gwynn's Island, I moved my command back to within 2 miles of Cricket Hill, and