wise crossing the peninsula, and about one mile and a half in rear of the advanced intrenchments. On the 12th I received orders to march at dusk in the evening, moving up the beach on the outside of Myrtle Sound, on the inside of which the enemy's left rested, to a point about four miles above General Terry's line, where the sound was very narrow, and where pontoons for a bridge, towed around by sea by steamers of the Navy, would meet us, to cross the sound during the night, and to move upon the enemy's rear by or before daybreak. The peninsula at the lower extremity of Myrtle Sound is from a mile and a half to two miles in width, and is a mere tongue of sand beach between the ocean and the river, very low and flat. For two miles from Federal Point there is no vegetation except low bushes of the shrub live-oak; above that some points appear and at the lower extremity of Myrtle Sound the land between the sound and the river becomes tolerably well wooded with pine. Between the swamp and the ocean is a narrow strip of sand beach, perfectly bare, and varying from 100 to 300 or 400 yards in width. Soon after sunset the division moved out marching as low down upon the beach as possible, upon the sand left bare by the tide, so s to be as Little exposed to view as might be from the opposite side of Myrtle Sound, where the enemy's camp-fires were in full view. The wind, which had been increasing through the afternoon, was blowing a gale from the northeast and the heavy surf drowned all the sounds of marching, though the gale made the march very slow and difficult for the troops. When the head of the column had reached a point one mile and a half beyond the lower point of Myrtle Sound and about four miles from camp I received orders countermanding the movement on account of the impossibility of towing the pontoons through the heavy sea. The column was therefore countermarched to camp, and we saw no evidences of the movement having been discovered by the enemy, although the moon had risen before the return march commenced.

On the 14th of February I received orders to renew the movement of the 12th, following the division of General Ames from General Terry's command, the pontoon train at this time accompanying the column upon the beach. The weather was more favorable than on the night on the 12th and the troops marched without discomfort. Leaving camp at dusk the division moved to the outer lines occupied by General Terry, where it was halted for the pontoon train and Ames' division to pass. It was found that the pontoon wagons sank deeply into the sand, and their progress was so slow that although they had left Federal Point before dark it was midnight before they passed my command, where halted, a distance of about four miles. The troops were then moved forward parallel to the train about three miles farther, and were again halted. About 2 o'clock, it becoming evident that no sufficient number of the pontoons could be got up to warrant the attempt to cross before day, the movement was abandoned by command of Major-General Schofield, who had accompanied the march in person. There was on this occasion pretty strong evidence that the movement was known to the enemy and that dispositions were made by him to oppose our crossing the sound. On the 16th the division was moved by steam-boats to Smithville, on the wet side of the bay, at the mouth of Cape Fear River, where it was joined by Battery D, First Ohio Light Artillery, the only battery of the division which had as yet arrived; at the same place this First Brigade of the Second Division of the corps, Colonel Moore, Twenty-fifth Michigan Infantry, commanding, reported to me by order of the general commanding the department.