Corps, commanded by Major Taylor, First Maine Cavalry, also reported to me, consisting of detachments form various regiments of that division, in all amounting to 19 commissioned officers and 472 enlisted men. I took on the 28th from my own brigade (First Brigade, Third Division) the men who were well mounted, amounting in all to 27 commissioned officers and 568 enlisted men, giving me when we moved a total of 80 commissioned officers and 1,737 enlisted men. From this force, before the movement of the main body of the expedition, I detached the following parties to report to Colonel Dahlgren: Second New York Cavalry, 100 men; Fifth New York Cavalry, 40 men; detachment Second Division, 150 men; making a total of 290 men. This detachment was under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel [Major] Cooke, Second New York Cavalry.

My command left their camps at Stevensburg shortly after dark on the evening of February 28, marched to Ely's Ford on the Rapidan, and crossed at that point; thence on through Spotsylvania Court-House, on the morning of the 29th of February, and across the Po River. Here a halt of about an hour was made to feed. The brigade then moved forward through Mount Pleasant, New Market, and Chilesburg to the North Anna River. This steam was crossed at Anderson's Ford, and I reached Beaver Dam Station between 3 and 4 p. m. Here the railroad depot, water-tanks, store-house, &c., burned, the telegraph cut, and the poles taken down for a considerable distance. An attempt was made to capture as railroad train that was heard approaching from Richmond, but taking alarm from the burning buildings at the station, it succeeded in backing out of the way before my men could reach it. A slight skirmish occurred here between my advanced guard and some 25 dismounted men of the enemy, who fired a volley and then made their escape in the woods. The command moved from Beaver Dam some 6 miles on the road to Guard Squirrel Bridge, and went into camp about 8 p. m.

At 11 p. m. Major Hall, Sixth New York Cavalry, with a detail of 450 men form the First Division detachment, was sent to make an attack on the South Anna railroad bridge, and between 12 p. m. and 1 a. m. of the 1st day of March my command moved out of camp and took the road to Richmond. Before reaching the South Anna my advanced guard met and drove from position a small force of the enemy's infantry, who appeared to be on picket duty. The South Anna River was crossed at daylight at a bridge about 2 miles west of the Richmond and Fredericksburg Railroad, and a short halt made to enable the division to close up. I then moved toward Richmond, passing Ashland Station about a mile to my left, and crossing the Richmond and Fredericksburg Railroad some 2 miles below Ashland. At this point the telegraph and railroad were destroyed, and a party sent, in charge of Lieutenant Whitaker, aide-de-camp on the staff of the general commanding division, to destroy a bridge on the line of the road, which object I believe was accomplished.

The brigade then moved forward to and crossed and brought in, and from that time we constantly fell in with small parties of the enemy, apparently sent out for the purpose of observing our movements, several of whom were captured.