our General Orders, Numbers 22, just sent him, and take it yourself to General A. J. Smith. I did not get them ready in time before you left. Will you be kind enough to answer by telegraph that this will be attended to. All success to you, dear general. Our best wishes shall follow you.

Very respectfully,

C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

BLAKELY, ALA.,

April 16, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel T. T. CHRISTENSEN:

The following dispatch is just received from General Lucas. His messenger here awaiting a reply.

F. STEELE,

Major-General.

[Inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY FORCES,
Claiborne, Ala., April 14, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

The following report of this expedition to this present time by General Wilson's courier: I informed you of my arrival at Montgomery Hill, 10th instant. The following day I left Montpelie at daylight and moved forward to Little River, where we found the stream unfordable and the bridge swept away. I crossed a battalion of the First Louisiana Cavalry who swam through, their horses in advance, hoping to capture the rebel picket and a company at Mount Pleasant. But information of our advance having anticipated us, I was unable to surprise them. After a delay of two hours occupied in repairing the bridge, I crossed the whole command, and reaching a point two miles beyond Mount Pleasant, my advance came suddenly upon a line of the enemy's skirmishes, who fell back to their line of battle, which was strongly posted in rear of a piece of swampy grounding the woods. The firing soon became heavy, when moving my advance line, I ordered the remainder of First Louisiana Cavalry to charge. The regiment was formed in line, and sweeping down upon the enemy, they broke and retreated in all directions. The pursuit was continued four miles. Owing to the difficulty of moving rapidly over the marshy ground, and the superior condition of their horses over ours, which had hard work, and short rations had greatly reduced many of them, the enemy [were enabled] to escape through the woods and on the flanks. The fruits of our victory are 2 commissioned officers, 70 men prisoners of war, 2 battle-flags, a number of horses, and arms, the latter of which, from want of transportation, were destroyed. Our casualties are 1 commissioned officer wounded and 9 men wounded, 3 men killed. Those of the enemy, 7 wounded, 3 killed. The rebel force engaged was a detachment of the Fifteenth Confederate Cavalry, numbering about 450 men. They had been sent a few days before to Claiborne, from Mobile, which corroborates the statement of General Wilson's courier. I pushed out and occupied Claiborne without further resistance same night. So hurried was the rebel retreat through the town that they did not inform the people on their side the river of the change which had occurred in the troops occupying this place, and an enrolling officer and several soldiers crossed