that town with his whole party and bring thence the families of 2 men. Should he find the river too high to ford, he was to leave the wagons on this side, under a strong guard, cross the river with a portion of his men, and remove what he could bring away. Acting Lieutenant Turner, upon reaching the Trent River, found it utterly unfordable. He therefore had one of his men swim across and bring from the south side a small boat he saw there; with this he took across ten men, and after great difficulty found a cart and ox team, with which he brought away the families and goods as directed, safely crossing them in his boat, making nearly a dozen crossings of the river in order to do so. Acting Lieutenant Turner reports seeing no enemy or signs of his presence, though he had to go nearly 3 miles west of the town.

After sending the party of 23 men to Trenton, he proceeded up the river with his detachment, having then with him 50 men and 1 howitzer and 1 wagon, with the view of removing the family of one Brighton, and one of the above-mentioned Union soldiers. At the forks leading to the Chincapin Chapel, and near which road Brighton's family resided, the advance guard were fired upon by 2 cavalrymen, the vedettes of the enemy. The advance guard charged after these men, and succeeded in capturing 1 and severely wounding the other,though he escaped, owing to the fleetness of his horse, after a race of 3 or 4 miles. These vedettes kept up the Trent road to Kinston, to which place they had orders to hurry in case any of the Yankees should be seen.

Captain Roche, with the view of carrying out the objects of the expedition, proceeded down the left road leading to Chincapin Chapel, at which place there is a rebel camp, the prisoner states, consisting of 200 cavalry of the Sixty-second Georgia and 100 infantry, Foy's company. Some 300 yards farther on, were awaiting his approach.

A spherical case shot caused them to leave, when upon reaching the bridge, Captain Roche relaid the planks, crossed, and was again fired upon by this picket, who had halted about 500 yards ahead in a piece of words. Lieutenant Wells directed another spherical case to be thrown, with an effect similar to the first, or cavalry charging after the flying picket 2 miles, to quite near Chincapin Creek.

Across this creek, which is here deep, with steep and high banks, there was a bridge, the possession of which was essential to the success of the expedition. Upon reaching it, however, it was found that the enemy had destroyed it and were concealed in considerable force upon the opposite bank. A few shots were fired by the enemy, when the howitzer was run down within 20 yards of the opposite side and fire opened with canister, Captain Roche also dismounting his troopers and deploying them as skirmishers. His effective force had now dwindled much, the advance guard of 10 having kept up the main road with Lieutenant Marshall, and 10 more, under a sergeant, being left to guard the bridge across Beaver Dam Creek. The enemy fired rapidly, and apparently by volleys, from the front up the road at the piece. Three rounds of canister stopped that fire, when it was resumed from the left flank heavier than before. On this flank Troop A were actively employed, but canister caused the enemy again to shift his position to the front, where he once