tions of Captain Hope, Captain Leslie and sons, and Captain Hooker, all commanding guerrilla parties of the enemy, were destroyed. Our loss was 1 man slightly wounded. At Bay Port 60 bales of cotton were captured; of this the navy 7 bales; the remainder was accidentally burnt. It was designed to bring off the whole of it. The troops returned to Fort Myers in safety.

About the 20th ultimo, an expedition, composed of 400 troops from the Second Florida Cavalry and Second U. S. Colored Troops, under the command of Major Weeks, Second Florida Cavalry, made a descent from Cedar Keys, Fla., upon Saint Andrew's Bay. On landing, 100 bales of cotton were captured near the coast and burnt. The expedition marched 44 miles into the interior, burnt 80 bales of cotton, 2 large bridges, 1 large grist-mill, 1 camp will store-houses, &c., complete, capable of containing 500 men. On the return to the coast the expedition brought in 115 contrabands, 8 mules, and 2 horses. The troops returned after an absence of nine days without the loss of a man.

On returning from Saint Andrew's another expedition, under command of Major Weeks, Second Florida Cavalry, started from Cedar Keys for the purpose of capturing cotton on the Florida Railroad to Otter Creek, about 25 miles from Cedar Keys. Here 140 bales of cotton were captured. Proceeding about 6 miles farther, Major Weeks destroyed the railroad bridge over the Waccassassee River and bent the rails for a distance of one-fourth of a mile. The enemy cannot now bring down troops by railroad within 30 miles of the post at Cedar Keys. Major Weeks also discovered 150 bags of unginned cotton. This, with the 140 bales previously mentioned, he expects to secure for the benefit of Government.

Recapitulation of the results of the three expeditions: Seven prisoners, 17 horses, 8 mules, captured; 233 bales of cotton burnt, 7 bales of cotton secured by the navy, 140 bales of cotton secured by the army, 150 bags of cotton secured by the army; 3 plantations destroyed (rebel); 1 camp with store-houses, &c., 1 large Government mill, 2 bridges, 1 railroad bridge, one-fourth of a mile of railroad track destroyed; 128 contrabands brought in. This without the loss of a single man.

I have drawn up this report by General Woodbury's direction, who is himself too unwell to write.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. BOWERS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Major GEORGE B. DRAKE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 2. Reports of Major Edmund C. Weeks, Second Florida (Union) Cavalry, of skirmish near Station Numbers 4, near Cedar Keys, Fla.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES,
Cedar Keys, July 8, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report, for the information of the commanding general:

Learning that there was a force concentrating at Station 4, I thought it best to try and discover in what force, and what their designs might be.