NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 1, 1862.-Expedition from Edgefield to Harpeth Shoals, Clarksville, &c., Tenn.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel James S. McClelland, Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS TWENTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS, Camp near Edgefield, Tenn., December 2, 1862.

GENERAL: In pursuance of your order, received the night of November 26, I left camp at 11 o'clock with the Twenty-fifth Illinois, Major Nodine; Thirty-fifth Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel Chandler, and one company of the Thirty-sixth Illinois Cavalry, Captain Sherer. My instructions from General Davis were to march to Harpeth Shoals, to intercept 1,200 cavalry (said to have crossed there), and, if possible, cut them up. I moved my command 16 miles, and halted for breakfast; rested two hours, and moved on near to Harpeth Shoals; encamped and sent out scouts.

Having received such information as convinced me that no enemy in any force was near, I moved at 8 o'clock next morning, 28th, to a camp 1 mile east of Coopertown, on the Nashville and Clarksville road. At 12 o'clock at night I received orders to march to Harpeth Shoals or Clarksville, to intercept a force said to be at Trenton, Todd County.

In obedience to this order, I separated my teams, and sent those already loaded, with the prisoners, under a strong escort, to a camp at Edgefield, and, with the balance of my command, left camp at 3 a. m., 29th, and arrived at Port Royal at 11 a. m., where I learned that no force was then Trenton, but that Woodward's command had crossed the Cumberland below and at Clarksville some time during the 28th. I therefore went into camp with my infantry force, and sent the cavalry on to Clarksville. They reported to me before daylight on the morning of the 30th that, on their arrival at Clarksville, they found the advance of Colonel Bruce's command occupying the town, and that the enemy,700 strong, was in camp 10 miles south of Clarksville, and they expected to make an attack on the camp at daybreak of the 30th. On hearing this, I left my camp at 8.30 a. m., and marched to Sycamore Creek and encamped.

December 1, marched at 8.30 o'clock and arrived in camp, near edgefield, at 4.30 p. m. My march in a direct line was 97 miles in some less than five days, besides the scouting done by parties sent out for the purpose of obtaining information. The cavalry command labored faith-fully, and I cannot speak in too high terms of their promptness and efficiency, as well as good conduct, on the march. Great credit is due Camt. S. B. Sherer for the discipline he enforced.

During the march I captured on the road going south 3 wagons, loaded with 20 barrels of whisky, with the owner and his teamsters, and found on his person $3, 080 of Confederate bills, in sheets. I brought in near 500 bushels of wheat, 150 bushels of corn, 16 barrels of flours, and 5 barrels of salt. I captured over 20 prisoners, 11 of whom I had turned over; 2 I paroled (they being sick and wounded), and the balance I released unconditionally for want of sufficient evidence against them. I also brought in 20 head of horses, 10 head of mules, and 6 guns. All of the above property was taken from persons known to be disloyal, and receipt were given by my quartermaster and approved by a commissioned officer in all cases where any owner could be found, or family of owner to give them to. Most of the property taken belongs to men serving in the rebel army. I found the roads leading from