borough, and Rocky Mount. This detachment was composed of 18 commissioned officers and 289 non-commissioned officers and privates, divided thus. * During the first day's march, this detachment was in the center. We bivouacked the first night at Swift Creek. Early in the morning, after my detachment was in column in the road, and I had reported ready to move as per orders of the previous evening, I received an order to take the rear. Giving way to the balance of the column, we moved forward as third in column, Captain Spann's squadron, consisting of his Company B, Mix's new cavalry, k and Company L. First North Carolina Union Volunteers, forming the rear guard. The extreme rear, Company L, First North Carolina Union Volunteers, with one howitzer, under Sergeant ----, Third New York Artillery, reached Greenville about 2 p. m., where we fed, and, after a halt of a couple of hours, moved forward to Sparta, which we reached at 2 a. m. on the morning of the 19th instant, the vedettes having been fired upon three times near Tyson's Creek. We left Sparta at 6 a. m. the morning of the 20th, in the advance, and at 9 a. m. charged into Tarborough, our advance being fired upon by the advance of a column of rebel cavalry moving upon Tarborough from Hamilton. We here captured a lieutenant and a sergeant, whom I sent to the provost-marshal. Our pickets having been posted, I was ordered by Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis" to post a squadron on the Hamilton road, 1 mile from the bridge. " I immediately reported to the colonel that my vedettes had been fired upon twice, and that a prisoner we had taken (one of those who fired upon us on our entry into, Tarborough) reported that 160 cavalry were then quite near us, and asked that I could take two squadrons and a howitzer. He immediately gave me his permission, and I took Companies A, B, and F, Twelfth New York Cavalry, consisting of about 100 men, and a howitzer, under Lieutenant Clark, Third New York Artillery. Moving forward a mile, my vedettes and myself, who were then reading the directions on a guide-post, to determine our course, were fired upon by 6 cavalrymen a short distance down the road. Ordering up the howitzer, they left. I ordered Company B, under Captain Simeon Church, to charge down the road, the column following. After a charge of a half mile, a volley was received by the head of Company B, which wounded 6 enlisted men, including Orderly Sergeant [Stephen] Laishly. This fire forced Company B into the woods on the left side of the road. Riding forward, I saw about 15 rebels drawn up across the road, and took a volley. I immediately directed Lieutenant Clark to move forward his piece and shell the woods. This he promptly did, and threw three spherical case shots among them. I also directed Captain Cyrus Church to charge with his squadron, consisting of his Company A and Company F, Lieutenant Brace's, both of the Twelfth New York Cavalry, immediately on the discharge of the howitzer. This was done with hearty good will and a stirring well, discharging their pistols at the rebels as we passed, and taking their fire. Owing to the fact that this was the first time that any of these men or officers (with the exception of 5 or 6) had been under fire, their horses also entirely unaccustomed to the report of fire-arms, very many pistols were discharged while at" raise pistol, " and their fire

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*Details omitted.

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