was not until March 6 that I was able to obtain wagons enough, including those belonging to General Terry's command, to move the two divisions from Wilmington to Kinston. On the 6th General Couch started with two divisions, Second and Third, of the Twenty-third Corps, and marched, via Onslow and Richlands, for Kinston. On the same day I went by sea to Morehead City and joined General Cox beyond New Berne on the 8th. General Cox had advanced to Wise's Forks, about one mile and a half below Southwest Creek, and the railroad was in rapid process of reconstruction. The force in front of General Cox, which appeared to consist of Hoke's division and a small body of reserves, had fallen back behind Southwest Creek, and General Cox had sent two regiments, under Colonel Upham, Fifteenth Connecticut Infantry, to secure the crossing of the creek on the Dover road. The enemy, having been re-enforced by a portion of the old Army of Tennessee, recrossed the creek some distance above the Dover road, came down in rear of Colonel Upham's position, and surprised and captured nearly his entire command, about 700 men. The enemy then advanced and endeavored to penetrate between General Carter's and General Palmer's divisions, occupying the Dover road and the railroad respectively, but was checked by General Ruger's division, which was just arriving upon the field. There was no engagement during the day beyond light skirmishing, and the loss on either side, with the exception of the prisoners captured from Colonel Upham, was insignificant. It being evident that the enemy's force was at least equal to that of General Cox, and that re-enforcements were arriving as rapidly as they could be brought by rail, I directed General Cox to put his troops in position, intrench them securely, and await the arrival of General Couch. On the 9th the enemy pressed our lines strongly, and felt for its flanks. Heavy skirmishing was kept up during the day, but no assault was made. On the 10th, the enemy having been largely re-enforced, and doubtless learning of the approach of General Couch's column, made a heavy attack upon General Cox's left and center, but was decisively repulsed, and with heavy loss. Both attacks were met mainly by General Ruger's division, a portion of that division having been rapidly transferred from the center to the left to meet the attack there, and then returned to the center in time to repel the attack on that portion of the line. The enemy retreated in confusion from the field, leaving his killed and wounded, also a large number of arms and intrenching tools, and during the night fell back across the Neuse and burned there bridge. Our loss in this engagement was about 300 killed and wounded; * that of the enemy probably about 1,500 in killed, wounded, and prisoners. General Couch effected his junction with General Cox on the following day. Having no pontoon train I was unable to cross the Neuse until the bridge could be repaired or the pontoons which had just arrived from the North could be brought by rail from Morehead City. The crossing was effected without opposition on the 14th, the enemy having abandoned Kinston and moved rapidly toward Smithfield to join the force under Johnston, which was concentrating to oppose your advance from Fayetteville.

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* But see table, p. 62.

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