forces until the train could get to a safe distance, but his men had become so demoralized by their successive defeats that we could afford to disregard him.

Having communicated with Major-General Steedman, who left me free to make the expedition or not, as I might deem best, I started form Leighton before daylight on Saturday morning, December 31, taking a trail which enabled us to avoid Armstrong's force and to get in the rear of a portion of Roddey's command at La Grange, where we captured Colonel Jim Warren, of Tenth [Fifth] Alabama Cavalry, and some other prisoner. About 1 p. m. we passed through Russellville, where we encountered another portion of Roddey's force, which had just arrived from Tuscumbia, and drove it out on the Tuscaloosa road, while we kept on the cotton-Gin or Bull Mountain road, after the train. Some attempt was made to delay us by burning a bridge over Cedar Creek, but we found a ford and caught up with the rear of the pontoon train at dark, ten miles beyond Russellville. We met no resistance,a nd our advance guard rode through tot he front of the train, which extended for five miles, and consisted of seventy-eight pontoon-boats and about 200 wagons, with all the necessary accouterments and material, engineering instruments, &c.; all the mules and oxen, except what who pontoniers and teamsters were able to cut loose and ride off, were so carelessly that no damage had been done. We captured a few prisoners, and wnet into camp at about the center of the train, fed our horses, nad i then started the entire command out in either direction to burn the train, which was done in the most thorough manner, and occupied till 3 a. m. I should have been glad to bring the pontoon train-which was built at Atlanta last winter, and was an exceedingly well appointed one-back to our lines, but the condition of the mules, the mountainous character of the country, and the presence in our rear of a force of the enemy's cavalry estimated at three times our own strength, prevent. I had also learned from a negro servant of Captain Cobb, of the engineers, who commanded the train, that a large supply train of General Hood, bound from Barton Station ot Tuscaloosa, was ahead.

Early next morning (Sunday) I pushed on through Nauvoo, taking the Aberdeen road, which I knew would flank the train. I led a detachment from near Aberdeen road, which I knew would flank the train. I led a detachment from near Bexar, across by a trail to he the train on the Cotton-Gin road, and sent another, under Lieutenant-Colonel Lamborn, to follow it, and by 10 p. m. had surprised to in camp a few miles over the State line in Itawamba County, Miss. It consisted of 110 wagons and over 500 mules. We burned the wagons, shot or sobered all the mules we could not lead off or use to mount prisoners, nad started back. In one of the wagons was Colonel McCrosky, of Hood's infantry, who had been badly wounded at Franklin. I left a tent with him, some stores, and one of the prisoners to take care to him. About twenty of the teamsters were colored U. S. soldiers of the garrison captured by Hood at Dalton; these came back with us. We returned via Toll-gate and the old military and Hackleburg roads, capturing an ambulance with its guard on the way, to within twenty-five miles south or Russelville, when I found that Roddey's force and the so-cackled brigades of Baffle and Russell were already stationed in our front at Bear Creek, and on the Biler road, toward Moulton, to retard us, while Armstrong was reported as being in pursuit. The country was very difficult and rugged, with few roads or trails and scarcely any forage, but we evaded, by a