his colored servant, who had left him during the affair on Bayou Corn. From this man I learned that Whitaker took with him on this expedition forty-five picket men from his own, from Vincent's, Murphy's, and Williams' companies; that in the engagement with our cavalry they were badly scattered, and were making their way through the bayous as best they could. Soon after I took four of Whitaker's men, one of them badly wounded, on their way to Bayou Pigeon in a pirogue. Their story was substantially the same as that of the negro, but I could not learn from any source what route Whitaker had taken with the men who remained with him. When within six miles of Bayou Pigeon I came upon a drift of logs which choked up the stream so that it was seemingly impassable. However, after an hour's hard labor I got three boats through. Placing the prisoners in these I started for the gunboat, leaving Lieutenant Steel in command below the drift, with instructions to lie quietly in the woods and take up other stragglers who might come along. I reached the gun-boat safely at midnight and transferred the prisoners to her. The commanding officer had no information for me. On the return from the gun-boat Private Oscar Close, Company K, First Louisiana Cavalry, was lost in some unaccountable manner. He was in a small boat, with Whitaker's negro to row for him. The boat disappeared very suddenly; could not have been gone more than ten minutes before it was missed, and yet a rigid search failed to discover it, such was the intense darkness. It is my belief that Close fall asleep and the negro killed him or carried him of into some small bayou. During the night one more prisoner was taken. I started at daylight on the 6th and returned to Bay Natchez. Here I learned positively that Whitaker had gone up Lake Natchez into Choctaw Bayou, on his way to Grossetete. As he had twenty-four hours' start of me I deemed it useless to pursue and started on my return. I tried three different outlets of Bay Natchez before I found one sufficiently clear of drift to admit of a passage. I reached Ivey's place on Bell River at sunset, and bivouacked for the night. Started again early on the morning of the 7th and proceeded by way of Bell River, Bayou Long, Bayou Milhomme, and Lake Palourde to Bayou Boeuf, reaching this station at 4 p. m. I destroyed two large flats and sixty-five smaller water craft on the lakes and bayous through which I passed, besides replacing a number of my own boats which became unserviceable during the trip. The men were kept well in hand, and every effort made by officers to prevent pillaging or other disorder. I believe these efforts were uniformly successful. I will explain my reasons for arresting the three citizens at Burnley's. W. C. Lawes is a cotton speculator from New Orleans. He had a pass signed by Major-General Hurlbut; had been at Burnley's month, along with Lieutenant Carver, Second Louisiana Cavalry (Confederate), and several other Confederate officers, who were receiving large quantities of goods from Napoleonville via the Portage and Bayou Pierre Pass. Lawes has been a Confederate officer. He says he is a loyal man; then he will tell who carries quinine from Napoleonville to the Confederacy by way of Burnley's. Arsene Simoneaud is charged with smuggling contraband goods by his neighbors and by his wife. H. Burnley harbors the whole gang; grinds corn for Whitaker; had in his house a large mail, of which very many letter were written from within our lines, and he must know who furnishes so many goods to Confederate officers, who come to his house to receive them. My paramount object in arresting these three men was to secure my own safety while in that region. The box of goods seized contains 28 ounces quinine, 7 ounces morphine sulphas, 6