moved with the effective force of my command, consisting of detachments of the Second New Jersey, Seventh Indiana, First Mississippi Rifles, Fourth and Tenth Missouri, Third and Fourth Iowa, Second Wisconsin, Fourth and Eleventh Illinois, and Third U. S. Colored Cavalry, in all about 3,500 men, organized into three brigades, and commanded respectively by Colonels Karge. Winslow, and Osband; also, Company E. Second Iowa Cavalry, numbering forty men, Lieutenant A. Scherer commanding, as provost guard and escort, and a pioneer corps of fifty negroes, commanded by Lieutenant Lewis, of the Seventh Indiana Cavalry-without artillery or wagons, sand with twenty days' light rations, carried on pack-mules. The whole command moved east along the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, threatening Corinth, to a point three miles west of Moscow, from thence southeast the ought Early Grove, Lamar, and Salem to Ripley. From Early Grove the Tenth missouri Cavalry, under Captain F. R. Neet, was sent to La Grange and Grand Junction, and destroyed the telegraph and stations at those points, rejoining the column near salem. From Ripley a detachments of 150 men of the Second new jersey, under Major Van Rensselaer, was sent ot destroyed the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the telegraph at or n ear Booneville. At the same time the Fought Illinois, under Captain A. T. Search, was sent to destroy the same read near Guntown. These detachments rejoined the main column, one at Ellistown, and the other at Shannon's Station, having destroyed 4 bridges, 8 or 10 culverts, several miles of the track and telegraph, and a large quantity of army supplies.

With the main column I moved on Tupelo. Upon arriving at Old Town Creek, five miles north of Tupelo, learning of the existence of a rebel camp and large quantity of army stores at Verona, I ordered Colonel Karge to leave his pack train and proceed rapidly toward that point, and if his information would justify in to make a night attack upon the place. Our movements thus far had been rapid, and the indications were that the enemy had no knowledge of our presence, as our appearance was a complete surprise to the citizens on our line of march.

When within two miles of Verona Colonel Karge struck the enemy's pickets. Notwithstanding the darkness the night his advance regiment, the Seventh Indiana, charged into the camp, dispersing the garrison and destroying 2 trains, 32 cars, and 8 warehouses filled with ordnance, commissary, and quartermaster's stores; also 200 army wagons, most of which were marked " U. S." Having been captured from General Sturgis in June last, and which were about being sent, loaded with supplies, to the army of General Hood. The bursting of shells which were contained in this immense depot continued until the afternoon of the next day. Colonel Karge fell back five miles to Harrisburg and encamped. With the balance of my command, on the same night, I encamped between Old Town Creek and Tupelo. From this point I sent the Eleventh Illinois, Lieutenant Colonel Otto Funke commanding, with the pioneer corps, to destroy the extensive railroad bridge over Old Town Creek and the track between point and Tupelo. The night was very dark and rainy, notwithstanding which Lieutenant-Colonel Funke and his command responded to my orders with alacrity, and before morning had rendered the railroad from Old Town Creek to Tupelo a complete wreck. From this point I moved my entire command south along the railroad, destroying it thoroughly to a point between Egypt and Praire Station, fifty-six miles from Booneville where it was first struck. The enemy had concentrated a considerable force at Okolona, which, upon our approach, fell back to Egypt. Having tapped the wire at Okolona and intercepted dispatches from