District of Beaufort, commanded by Brigadier General Edward E. Potter.

Since the last monthly return the following-named regiments, Fifty-sixth New York State Volunteers, Twenty-sixth U. S. Colored Troops, Ninth U. S. Colored Troops, Thirty-fourth U. S. Colored Troops, and Battery F, Third New York Artillery, have been engaged in action with the enemy on John's and James Islands, S. C. These organizations were absent from Beaufort, S. C., from June 30 to July 10, during which time they were occupied in a reconnaissance, the object of which was successfully attained with small loss of life.

Morris Island, S. C., commanded by Colonel William Gurney, One hundred and Twenty-seventh New York Infantry.

July 1.-Battery B, Third New York Artillery, the Fifty-fourth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, and Twenty-first U. S. Colored Troops left the post to join an expedition against James Island, under command of Brigadier-General Schimmelfennig. These troops returned July 11. The casualties during their absence were as follows: In the Twenty-first U. S. Colored Troops, 20 enlisted men lost by drowning. A boat accidentally upset in Stono River. In the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers, 1 man died of sunstroke.

July 2.-In the night an assault from boats was made upon the enemy's works at Johnson's Point, James Island. the forces engaged were the Fifty-second Pennsylvania Volunteers, under command of Colonel Hoyt; the One hundred and twenty-seventh New York Volunteers, under Major Little, and a detachment of 60 men from the Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. Being opened upon by a heavy fire of both artillery and musketry, a small force only effected a landing, nearly all of whom were captured by the enemy. The boats returned under a heavy fire from the batteries of James and Sullivan's Islands. The casualties were as follows: Killed, 1 enlisted man, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery; wounded, 2 enlisted men, One hundred and twenty-seventh New York Volunteers; missing, 6 officers and 134 men of Fifty-second Pennsylvania Volunteers, and 1 man of Signal Corps.

AUGUST, 1864.

District of Florida, commanded by Brigadier General John P. Hatch.

August 3.-Palatka abandoned; troops transferred to Picolata, A skirmish at Palatka previous to its abandonment resulted in the capture of 1 officer and 7 enlisted men of the Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry.

August 4.-Brigadier General William Birney relieved from command of the district by General Hatch.

August 4 and 6.-Command re-enforced by the arrival of the Thirty-fourth and One hundred and second Regiments U. S. Colored Troops and the One hundred and fourth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers from Hilton Head.

August 6.-General Birney left the district, taking with him the Seventh and Eighth Regiments U. S. Colored Troops.

August 15.-Baldwin burned and abandoned. The mounted portion of the forces there, consisting of the Seventy-fifth Ohio,