sent during the day and had not reached department headquarters when the orderly bringing this order - and who had strangely lost his way - left the commanding general, I ordered only Moore's brigade to march, sending at the same time a full report of the situation and of my information. At 11. 45 p. m. I received another dispatch from the commanding general, dated 7. 15 p. m. He had received no news form me, and General Terry having further information deemed corroborative of that before given, and regarding his situation as critical, the commanding general again directed the return of my troops. Orders were accordingly given for Henderson's brigade to move and the rest to be ready to follow, when, shortly midnight, I received a third dispatch, in answer to mine of 6 p. m., approving my delay, and authorizing my remaining in position and pushing into the city as early as possible. The swamps intervening between the river and the road left very few places where messengers could reach the river-bank from the road, and the same difficulty had prevented the maintenance of signal communication with the department flag-ship as we advanced up the river. This had unfortunately occasioned the difficulties and miscarriage in communicating, and had caused the great delays in the dispatches noticed above.

At daybreak on the morning, of the 22nd it was discovered that the enemy had evacuated during the night, and some of the skirmishers of the Sixteenth Kentucky entered the town in a skiff, all the boats of any size having been previously secured on the city side of the river by the enemy, and there being no bridge over the principal river at the city. Early in the forenoon the columns of General Terry's command entered the city and immediately after noon, the pontoon bridge being completed over Brunswick River and a sufficient ferry over Cape Fear River, my command was crossed into the town, of which it was made temporary garrison by order of the general commanding the department.

The movements described were accomplished with very trifling loss, the total number of casualties in the division being only sixty-six, of which a statement is annexed.

In the attack upon the enemy's position at Town Creek the wooded nature of the field gave our good cover in advancing and made the fire of the enemy so uncertain that it produced Little damage, our loss in that charge being but thirty in killed and wounded. The positions of the enemy were captured by rendering them untenable, and the labor and courage of the troops were expended rather in overcoming the great physical obstacles in the nature of the country than in hard fighting.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. D. COX,

Major-General, Commanding.

Lieutenant Colonel J. A. CAMPBELL,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of North Carolina.

Table of casualties.

Command. Killed. Wounded. Aggregate.

First Brigade 4 40 44

Second Brigade --- 16 16

Third Brigade 1 5 6

Total 5 61 66