taking armed parties for loads of wood, &c., or landing them at points on the coast, to work their way back to Elizabeth City, overland, with trains of negroes. Two of our expeditions nearly reached Hertford, but found the bridge burned and all communication cut off. A small army gunboat sent to aid us burst her cylinder head in Currituck Sound. Lieutenant Lippe, in charge, transferred his load of oats to the W. W. Frazier, a transport steamer passing empty through the canal, and brought them to us, then returned her. Dr. Ray, a citizen who had followed in our train, then volunteered to sail to Plymouth in on open boat and bring a naval gunboat to support us. He did so, and returned next morning with Commander Flusser and the Miami, having met them on the sound. They kindly staid by us until we evacuated the place. General Wessells also paid us a brief visit on his return from Roanoke Island.

The guerrillas pestered us. They crept upon our pickets at night, waylaid our expeditions and our cavalry scouts, firing upon us whenever they could. But in marching, our flankers breaking up the woods, generally drove them. We ambuscaded them twice without success; pursuit was useless. Colonel Holman burned tow of their camps between Elizabeth and Hertford, taking some of their property, such as guns, horses, provisions, and clothing; catching some of their abettors, but only one of their number, Daniel Bright, of Pasquotank County, whom I afterward hanged, duly placarding thus:

This guerrilla hanged by order of Brigadier-General Wild.

All our prisoners had the benefit of a drumhead court-martial. Finding ordinary measures of little avail, I adopted a more rigorous style of warfare; burned their houses and barns, ate up their live stock, and took hostages from their families. This course we followed throughout the trip, and we learned that they were disgusted with such unexpected treatment; it bred disaffection, some wishing to quit the business, others going over the lines to join the Confederate Army. I exchanged communications with two of the captains concerning these hostages, which was satisfactory as far as it went.

On quitting Elizabeth City, I sent 250 to land on Powell's Point and march up, ferried 400 across to Camden Court-House, and returned with the rest to South Mills. There I dismissed the cavalry and artillery and sent home Colonel Holman's regiment with our trains; marched with the remainder to Indiantown, met Colonel Draper, who had gone southward with his party to Shiloh, thence northward again.

He had had three encounters with guerrillas. At Shiloh they made a strong night attack, driving in his pickets and pouring in volley after volley upon his camp fires. But Colonel Draper had previously withdrawn all his men to sleep inside the church, leaving the fires burning. The picket reserve having been secretly posted, returned the fire and drove away the enemy before the colonel could form his men and reach them. He pursued them in vain. The next day he was waylaid at Sandy Hook by a force estimated at 200, who had taken a position at the edge of a swamp 400 yards distant, which they held with some determination long enough for the colonel to bring 300 guns to bear upon it, and to send two flanking parties round their right and left. One of these, charging with the bayonet, they did wait to receive, but vanished in the swamp. The