good service, in the Sub-district of Beaufort. The enemy left the vicinity of New Berne, as I informed you in my last, and scouts, which have been kept busy, report them as apparently returning by the different routes to Kinston.

The force of the enemy that attacked Newport are, however, still hovering in that vicinity. I will remark here that the enemy did not succeed in getting any of our artillery at Newport, and am told our losses in men in Colonel Jourdan's command will probably be in the vicinity of 50. The enemy left one iron gun in the neighborhood of Newport, which we can make serviceable. Working parties have been very busy, in repairing the railroad, and I was very much in hopes of getting it in running order before the departure of the Spaulding; but this morning Colonel Dutton, who is at present in command at Morehead, informs me that there is a considerable force of rebel threatening Newport, and this will cause some delay. Colonel Jourdan came to consult with me last night, and he will return, if possible, to-day. It is perfectly easy for the enemy to harass our line toward the railroad for they must have considerable force at Trenton to keep open their communication via Young's Cross-Roads, and it would take a larger force than we can spare just now to organize an expedition for the purpose of taking possession of these points. In any event, Colonel Jourdan considers the position at Morehead, perfectly safe. I have, from what I consider good authority, learned the programme of the enemy on this expedition. The object was, of course, to get possession of this place, and the operations were to be as follows: General Pickett was to come immediately to New Berne, and, provided all the others came to time in order to make the attacks simultaneously, he hoped to get into the place by Fort Totten. He had about 6,000 men. General Barton had about 5,000 men, and he was to gain possession of the works on south side of Trent River, commencing at Brice's Creek. Colonel Dearing had three regiments-Fifteenth and Seventeenth Virginia (of Corse's brigade), and Sixty-seventh North Carolina, (Whitford's), four pieces of artillery, and some 300 cavalry at a point about 2 miles from Fort Anderson (across the Neuse), and this force was to capture our forces there when this place should fall. General Martin was to attack Sheppardsville (Newport) and the places on the railroad. He had about 4,000 men. General Pickett, although his force was so large, was delayed some ten hours in getting from the Neuse bridge, where a stout resistance was made to the front of Fort Totten. General Barton arrived in good time at the front of Colonel Amory, but he could not cross Brice's Creek without bridging it, and although he had his own brigade, a portion of Ransom's and Kemper's, with four pieces of artillery and a respectable force of cavalry, he was forced to retire without effecting anything. Whitford (or Dearing), of course, remained quiet, and the good preparations made on my line from the Neuse to the Trent made the matter of an assault then absurd. Martin performed his part well; at least, he broke no communication with the coast, and he is still hovering around. You may, perhaps, see some flaming accounts in Southern papers of the success of the raid, but the commanding general may rest assured that, with the exception of the section of artillery lost at Beech Grove, the loss is too trifling to be mentioned. I sent out a couple of surgeons, with two ambulances, for the purpose of providing for some poor unfortunate small-pox patients, directing the surgeons to explain the humate errand on