not give him battle; returned to Hayens' Bluff April 23. Gun-boat Numbers 5. (Petrel) and gun-boat Numbers 11 (Prairie Bird), Lieutenant-Commander McElroy commanding fleet, accompanied the expedition. In attempting to run the blockade at Yazoo City, in order to open fire on the works from above, the Petrel was lost, and her crew, including Lieutenant-Commander McElroy, were either killed or taken prisoners.

Numbers 2. Itinerary of the Second Brigade, First Division, U. S. Colored Troops, Seventeenth Army Corps, for April, 1864.*

April 19, two regiments of the brigade moved at 6.30 a. m. for Yazoo City; marched 22 miles without seeing the enemy, with the exception of a few scouts; went into camp at 7 p. m.

April 20, broke camp at daylight and moved toward Benton, Miss. At Mechanicsburg the brigade drove in the enemy's pickets of about 20 cavalry, and moved on without much resistance until about 6 miles from the latter place, when the enemy was met in force, who opened on the advance with four pieces of artillery. Engaged the enemy, and having silenced their battery moved to Liverpool Heights, on the Yazoo River, about 15 miles below the city. Arrived at 9 p. m. and encamped for the night, and remained awaiting orders until the night of the 22nd, when the brigade embarked on transports and returned to its former camp at Snyder's Bluff, Miss.

April 29, the brigade again broke camp and moved to Vicksburg, Miss.

April 30, arrived at Vicksburg at 9 a. m.

Numbers 3. Report of Colonel Embury D. Osband, Third U. S. Colored Cavalry, of skirmishes at and near Mechanicsburg.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD U. S. COLORED CAVALRY,
Haynes' Bluff, Miss., April 25, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to respectfully report that, pursuant to orders, I moved at 6 a. m. on the morning of the 19th of April with one battalion Tenth Missouri Cavalry, 90 men and 4 officers, Major W. H. Lusk commanding, and the Second Battalion, Third U. S. Colored Cavalry, 138 men and 12 officers, Major J. B. Cook commanding, on the Yazoo City road. Dividing my command to cover both ridge and valley road, I proceeded to within 7 miles of Mechanicsburg; returning to the column encamped at the residence of Mr. Willday, on the valley road.

Moving at daylight on the 20th, and accompanied by the First Kansas Mounted Infantry as far as Mechanicsburg, we moved toward Yazoo City, driving in our front about 50 of the enemy's skirmishers. The advance guard of the Tenth Missouri Cavalry, under Captain Cain, was exceedingly fine and worthy of special mention. About 9 miles beyond Mechanicsburg we captured 2 out of the 4 men posted as a picket, and learned that Mabry's brigade, formerly either Adams' or Starke's, was somewhere in our front

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*From monthly return.

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