steamer. A bar was formed at the mouth of the river during the late freshest which interrupted navigation. The country through which we were passing was almost destitute of supplies. Spurling arrived at Pollard with his command on the evening of the 26th, having fully accomplished the object of his expedition. He cut the telegraph line and railroad track between Evergreen and Greenville before day on the 24th and captured both the up and down trains, 2 locomotives, and 14 cars loaded with Government stores, which he destroyed. One hundred officers and men were taken on the train going to Mobile. Having done sufficient damage to the road to prevent its being used by the rebels he proceeded toward Pollard. At Sparta 6 more cars were destroyed and the depot with a large amount of stores burned. Before reaching Pollard he captured 20 more prisoners in skirmishers, and brought in 200 negroes and 250 horses and mules, without the loss of a man. General Clanton signed a parole for himself and the wounded men who were pronounced by the surgeons unable to travel. For the same reason Colonel Spurling paroled Lieutenant Watts, son of the Governor of Alabama of General Clanton's staff. On the 27th head of the column reached Canoe Station in heavy rain; roads very bad. This had been headquarters of General Armistead's brigade, composed of the Sixth and Eighth Alabama Cavalry. Armistead in his flight from Bluff Springs passed here with a few of his men, and has not been heard of since by anybody in this region. Considerable corn was found at the depot, but the citizens from the surrounding country had made the best use of the time allowed them in carrying off the rebel supplies. Some ox teams sent there for this purpose were used as beef for our troops. The roads continued to grow worse and supplies more scarce to Weatherford, which was reached by part of the command on the 29th. Two hundred picked cavalrymen, under Major Perry, were sent to Montgomery Landing to obtain information, capture a steamboat if possible, and bring back corn and cattle. This detachment rejoined the column on the 30th at the junction of the roads ten miles from Stockton, bringing beef enough for distribution. We had succeeded in communicating with the major-general commanding, and here received orders to proceed to Holvoke, but want of forage and rations compelled us to turn toward Stockton, which we reached on the afternoon of the 31st, and found in the vicinity corn and beef enough to supply the command for several days and a good gristmill.

On the 1st Colonel Spurling's command was sent ahead of the column to ascertain the best route to Holyoke to communicate with headquarters in regard to our movements,&c. About four miles and a half from Blakely and one mile from where the road forks toward Holyoke he found the road barricaded, and a strong picket or outpost, composed of cavalry and infantry, which he charged, capturing the battle-flag of the Forty-sixth Mississippi Infantry and 74 prisoners, including 3 commissioned officers. Just as Lucas' cavalry and Hawkins' division were about to encamp at Carpenter's Station, information was received that Spurling was fighting in advance, and they moved rapidly to his support. The enemy was driven into his works at Blakely by the cavalry, withdrawing his outposts at Sibley's Mills, where they were several pieces of artillery in position. During Spurling's charge a horse was blown to pieces and the rider badly wounded by the explosion of a torpedo. The prisoners were made to dig up those remaining in this road. Major McEntee returned with communication from General Canby, directing me to make Holyoke that night if practicable. Hawkin's division had marched eighteen or nineteen miles, and Andrews was