the river unfordable, he returned to Nethercutt's Forks, and, after recrossing Beaver Dam Creek, he took a turpentine path through the woods to the Red House.

Captain Roche reports that as far as he could learn the enemy made no attempt to follow. Their camp consists of 75 cavalry. Captain Perkins' company, and about the same number of infantry, Captain Foy, and is located at Chincapin Chapel, 5 miles from the Kinston road on the north side of the Trent road, to approach which two steams would have to be crossed; over one is a bridge and the other is fordable.

I have also to report that from information brought in by negroes the following day, I learn that a company of 62 men came down the road taken by Captain Roche (Kinston road) some three hours after he passed.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

FLOYD CLARKSON,

Major Twelfth New York Cavalry, Commanding.

Lieutenant A. A. NEAL,

Adjutant 132nd New York Infantry.

DECEMBER 5-24, 1863.-Expedition from Norfolk, Va., to South Mills, Camden Court-House, etc., N. C.

Reports of Brigadier General Edward A. Wild, U. S. Army, commanding expedition.

CURRITUCK, C. H.,

December 21, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to report that we are slowly tending homeward. I wrote last from South Mills, whence we sent home the cavalry, artillery, prisoners, sick, contraband train, and Colonel Holman's regiment. Since then we have traversed Camden and Currituck Counties in three columns, one landing at Powell's Point and marching up; another, ferried across at Camden Court-House and marched down through Shiloh, then up via Indiantown; the third, from South Mills to Indiantown and up hither. We all concentrated here late on Saturday evening, including our steamboats. The gunboat Flora Temple reported to me here, having proceeded to Elizabeth City in vain.

We have spent yesterday and a good part of to-day in resting our men (now sadly worn) and in embarking some loads of contrabands to Roanoke Island, by the gunboat, the Coleman, and a schooner in town. We have also sent a party a by steamer to land on Knott's island and march thence homeward, under Colonel Draper. We are now loading on the Three Brothers and bateau some provisions, our sick, lame, and wounded, a few prisoners, and a good pile of contrabands, with their baggage, to send to Norfolk. I would like to have these boats return immediately to take up a load of corn and baggage. We shall try to make a few miles this evening toward home.

We have had some encounters with guerrillas since I last wrote; had 4 men killed, 7 wounded, 1 prisoner. We have burned two more guerrilla camps located in the center of impenetrable swamps;