ran up the lake and landed at the mouth of a canal, along which the road runs from Lake Verret to Napoleonville. Here the water was shallow near the bank, and we were forced to land the troops in small boats. I landed with about ten men and a lieutenant as quickly as possible, and leaving orders for the rest to land and follow immediately, marched rapidly toward a saw-mill located about one mile from the lake, with the intention of arresting all the men in the vicinity, to prevent them from giving notice of our approach; but on reaching the mill I was told that our cavalry had been there they day before, and also the lake. I had discovered upon landing and examining the road that a small squad of cavalry had been to the lake and returned, but thinking it might have been the rebels, and the men at the mill deceiving us, I sent orders to Captain O'Neil to halt his men, hoping by concealing out force to drawn them out. I then proceeded about three-quarters of a mile farther to where the road branches off toward Texas. Here I became fully satisfied that our cavalry had been there the day before and had returned. Thinking there had been some misunderstanding with regard to time, and that there was no possibility of effecting the object of the expedition, I returned to the lake and re-embarked at 8. 40 a. m. While the troops were on shore the commandant of the gun-boat searched for boats, but could discover none. At the saw-mill before mentioned quite a number of men were actively engaged in sawing lumber, and as none had accumulated about the mill, and none seemed to have been used in the vicinity, it appeared very probable that it was sawed for the use of rebels in buildings boats or for other purposes.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN LYNES,

Captain, Commanding Company H, Ninety-third U. S. Colored Infantry.

Captain R. E. JACKSON,

Post Adjutant.

FEBRUARY 10-13, 1865. - Expedition from Thibodeaux to Lake Verret, La.

Report of Captain John H. Alexander, First Louisiana Cavalry.

HDQRS. COMPANY K, FIRST LOUISIANA CAVALRY,
Thibodeaux, La., February 13, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to respectfully submit the following as a report of the marches of Company K, First Louisiana Cavalry, and Sixteenth Indiana Mounted Infantry, on reconnaissance to Lake Verret:

At 3 p. m. on the 10th I marched from here with eighty-four men, on Labadieville road through Brule Landry, or Little Texas, to within five miles of Lake Verret. The roads were so bad I stopped at Bondsnim's plantation. Lieutenant Pomponeau, with six men, dismounted, went to the lake at a point between Coupee Lannes and Shell Bank, but was unable to discover anything. He was told that at 7 p. m. on the 10th instant a party of several boats moved down Lake Verret and into Lake John (supposed to be rebels). At daylight I started for the lake, crossed several swamps (in one of which one horse of Sixteenth Indiana was killed on a snag), and finally dismounted and went to the lake, no signs of any rebels having been there. Opposite the Shell Bank there was a gun-boat lying and seven small boats running from