on board, started to convoy the transports. Great delay was experienced in finding the channel of the creek, owing to the changes caused by the recent freshets, and the boats continually grounded. The Brewster was unable to proceed, and the transports were finally convoyed by the naval gun-boat Stepping Stones and the steamer Emman, landing the troops at Smithfield about 12 noon on the 14th instant.

At 4 a. m. on the 14th instant I sailed from off Newport News on the flag-ship Chamberlain, followed by the transports Tucker and Woodis, with the Ninth New Jersey Volunteers and two sections of artillery on board, under convoy of the army gun-boat Reno, proceeding up Chuckatuck Creek to Cherry Grove Landing, where the infantry and artillery were landed at 7 a. m. No opposition was made to the landing, and soon after Colonel Keese, with his detachment of the One hundred and eighteenth New York Volunteers, reported, not having arrived as early as was expected in order to cover the landing of the troops at this point, owing to the delay in crossing the Nansemond River. At this point a large sloop that had been drawn up the land was destroyed by detachment from the crew of the gun-boat ReNumbers

At 7. 45 a. m. the line of march was taken up for Smithfield. Upon the advance of the skirmishers they were fired on from the woods by a force of about 100 men, and continual skirmishing was kept up for 3 or 4 miles. Owing to the dense thicket on both sides of the road it was impossible to capture the party which annoyed our advance and delayed the column in its march. One of the enemy being wounded fell into our hands, reporting that he belonged to the Sixty-first North Carolina Infantry, our loss being 1 man, slightly wounded.

Upon arriving at Benn's Church the column was halted for twenty minutes, when the line of march was again taken up, the One hundred and eighteenth New York Volunteers being ordered to remain at that point until 3 p. m., when it would follow to Smithfield.

I arrived at Smithfield about 5 p. m. Finding that the force landed at Berwell's Bay had not reached that place, as was expected, and the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers, which landed at Smithfield, had taken the road to Isle of Wight Court-House instead of that leading to Benn's Church, I immediately made arrangements to hold the town, sent Lieutenant Bullard, of my staff, with a small squad of cavalry, to find the whereabouts of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers, and dispatched the gun-boat Brewster with a transport to Berwell's Bay for the purpose of re-embarking the force landed there, should they have fallen back to the cover of the gun-boats. The Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers reported to me in about an hour, having found the road and ascertained that I had reached Smithfield. Not having heard from the force landed on Berwell's Bay I concluded to remain until morning.

At daylight on the morning of the 15th instant a detachment of the One hundred and eighteenth New York Volunteers was ordered to proceed up Pagan Creek for the purpose of destroying all small boats. They marched about 2 miles, met no force of the enemy, and reported as having destroyed two eight-oared boats, four skiffs, and two dug-outs. Lieutenant Margerum likewise ascended the creek for several miles in the gun-boat Emma, seeing no enemy and discovering no boats. At 4 a. m. Captain Harris, of the gun-boat Brewster, having reported the safe re-embarkment of the Twenty-