No. 7.

Reports of Colonel R. V. Richardson, Twelfth Tennessee Cavalry.

HEADQUARTERS, Harris' House, [Chesterville,] Miss., November 7, 1863.

SIR: On the 3rd instant, being too unwell to command in person myself, General Gholson and myself organized a force of 270 men, composed of detachments from Major Ham's battalion, State troops, Major Ham commanding; from Twelfth Tennessee Cavalry, Lieutenant-Colonel Green commanding; from Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry, Major Thurmond commanding, the whole under the command of Colonel Neely.

This force left their camp at Knight's Mill at 1 p.m.; ordered to so march as to strike the Memphis and Charleston Railroad by moonrise on the morning of the 5th instant, and to destroy road, telegraph, &c., as circumstances would warrant. I have just received the following dispatch from Colonel Neely:

We succeeded in reaching the railroad about moonrise, as expected, after a ride of 62 miles that day, and burned three trestles and destroyed track, taking down the telegraph wire, 600 or 800 yards; burned one hand-car just left by the Yankees, by daylight, and next morning burned the depot and the winter quarters and stockade the Federals were erecting at Middleton. The Federals are evacuating the road, the infantry having left several places. They say they are removing the old troops and bringing on conscripts to take their places.

As soon as Colonel Neely returns I will make a fuller report.

I have the honor to be, yours, &c.

R. V. RICHARDSON,
Colonel, Commanding Northeast Mississippi.

Colonel EWELL,

Meridian.

HEADQUARTERS, Chesterville, Miss., November 7, 1863.

SIR: Colonel J. J. Neely has just returned from a scout on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.

On the morning of the 5th instant, about moon-up, Colonel Neely- commanding detachments of his own [the Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry], also detachment of the Twelfth Tennessee [Lieutenant-Colonel Green commanding], and also detachment of Ham's battalion [Major Ham commanding], in all 270 men-reached the railroad 2 miles above Saulsbury. Learning that a force of 1,000 Federals were at Saulsbury that night, he directed his course up the State line road, and burned and destroyed three trestles, about 800 yards of telegraph wire, the depot, barracks, and stockade at Middleton, and a hand-car left there by the enemy. He found Middleton evacuated by the enemy, and reports that the enemy was evacuating the road generally, for the purpose of running the Mobile and Ohio Railroad from Columbus, Ky., to Corinth. Another report, derived from citizens near the road, was that the enemy was removing his old troops from the road, their places to be supplied with conscripts. The citizens also report that the tories had left the neighborhood of Middleton, impressing wagons to carry off their chattels. Colonel Neely left a company near the road to watch their