No. 262. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Augustus B. R. Sprague, Second Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, of operations March 3 - 10.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND MASSACHUSETTS ARTILLERY, Kinston, N. C., March 16, 1865.

CAPTAIN: In accordance with circular of March 13, from headquarters First Brigade, First Division, District of Beaufort, I have the honor to report the operations of my command from the time of leaving New Berne to include the battle of Kinston as follows:

In accordance with verbal orders received from General Harland, my command, consisting of five companies (B, C, F, I, and M) of this regiment, left New Berne about 1 p. m. on the 3rd instant, and marched to within about half a mile of Batchelder's Creek and bivouacked for the night. The march of the 3rd instant brought the command to within about two miles of Core Creek. Both of these days were extremely stormy and the roads were very bad, so that the marching was excessively difficult and the progress of the command much delayed by wagon trains in front of it. On the 5th instant the command reached the brigade bivouac, near Core Creek. The following day, the 6th instant my command marched with the brigade up the line of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad to Gun Swamp. On the 7th instant broke camp at 8. 30 a. m. and marched up the railroad about five miles. Two sections of Mercer's battery (C), Third New York Artillery, were drawn up in a field on the left of the railroad track and my command was ordered to support them. After supporting the battery in position for about two hours the regiment was relieved by a portion of Colonel Boughton's brigade, and was ordered to picket the British road on the right of the railroad with one company on the Neuse road, and lay quietly all night.

The following morning, the 8th instant, about 10 o'clock, I was ordered to advance a portion of my command up the Neuse road to make a reconnaissance and connect with the right of Twenty-third Massachusetts line of skirmishers. I went myself, taking with me Major Amory and Companies F and M of my command. Met the enemy on the Neuse road; had quite a severe skirmish, losing 3 men killed and having 1 wounded. At this time I received orders that if I was attacked I should withdraw my advance and report with my entire command at brigade headquarters. This I did, when I was ordered to support Van Heusen's battery (D), Third New York Artillery, on the left of the British road, near the railroad. The enemy having made an attack in force upon Colonel Claassen's front, I was ordered by General Palmer to proceed immediately to the left of Colonel Boughton's brigade for the purpose of filling a gap in the line between Colonel Boughton's brigade and that of Colonel Claassen. Filing into a field on the left of the British road and of Colonel Boughton's command, the regiment lay in line under fire of the enemy, supporting a section of Van Heusens' battery (until the section retired disabled, three horses being killed) until dark, when I advanced my lines until my connection was perfect between Colonel Boughton's brigade, on my right, and Colonel Claassen's, upon my left, and threw up breast-works. A line of skirmishers was then thrown out to the edge of the woods in front of the regiment, to connect with those of the brigades upon my right and left. The night was stormy, and there was almost constant skirmishing. The next day, the 9th instant, all was quiet along the lines, with occasional