possible that the enemy would move her down, and it was not thought advisable to send vessels up before good positions for batteries commanding the channel should be occupied by us. As a preparatory step, I had, on leaving New Berne, ordered the obstructions to navigation placed formerly by our forces in the river above the town to be removed. These had proven more difficult of removal than was expected, and the channel was not open until the 6th.

In the movement of the 7th, ordered as above stated, Claassen's brigade pushed forward to the intersection of the British and Dover roads, where he was checked by a fire of two pieces of Artillery from the enemy's works on the farther side of Southwest Creek. The other brigades of General Palmer's division were met with a similar fire as they advanced along the railroad at about 800 yards from the creek. I thereupon ordered General Carter to advance his whole division to Wise's Forks to relieve Claassen's brigade with one of his, and ordered General Palmer upon Claassen reporting to him to send one regiment to support the cavalry on the Neuse road, and to endeavor to drive the enemy from his positions at the creek. Toward evening the skirmish liens of both divisions succeeded in approaching quite near the creek. The there bridges - at the Dover road, railroad, and Neuse road crossings - were found to be destroyed, and the observation of the reconnoitering parties, as well as information from citizens, showed the stream to be unfordable. The cavalry reached the upper Trent road crossing of the creek; found only a picket there, which they drove off. They then took up the plank of the bridge and established their own out-posts at that point, sending forward small scouting parties, who reported no enemy at the Wilmington road crossing. Before evening the enemy's Artillery fire ceased, and Generals Carter and Palmer reported their picket-line established along the creek continuously from the right to left. No force of the enemy was found at Neuse road bridge. I then ordered the whole line of the creek carefully reconnoitered and if possible a bridge for footmen made at some narrow point by felling trees across it. The cavalry was ordered to observe carefully the Wilmington road on the left to picket the crossings of the creek, giving prompt notice of any movement toward that flank. All the troops were ordered to be on the alert, through the command was not expected to take the aggressive until the railroad should be farther advanced or supplies received by the river, since it had been found impossible to feed the troops regularly where they were.

The general commanding the department having arrived at New Berne and being expected at Gun Swamp that evening, I rode back to meet him at the railway train. One the morning of the 8th, the commanding general being with me on the road to General Palmer's headquarters, a dispatch reached me from General Carter stating that the cavalry reported information given them by a negro that a heavy column of the enemy had crossed the creek at the Wilmington road at daybreak and moved down toward the upper Trent road. As it was 10 o'clock when this dispatch was received, and the report was one of a sort often received before, and especially as the cavalry, who were under orders themselves to observe the Wilmington road and had a post at the upper Trent crossing, reported nothing of their own knowledge, the report was regarded exaggerated. General Carter was, however, immediately ordered to push the cavalry boldly out in that direction, supporting them by a regiment of infantry, and ascertain definitely the truth, holding his whole command in readiness for action. Almost immediately after General Carter reported the enemy moving in heavy