of Richwoods, and they here lost their trail, it becoming dark, and returned to camp. I hear also reports of there being twenty or thirty rebels in Matthews' Prairie, twelve miles northeast of this camp.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. B. BROWN,

Captain.

Colonel A. SIGEL,

Commanding Fifth Missouri State Militia Cavalry.

JULY 5-7, 1864.- Expedition from Morganza to Simsport, La.

Report of Colonel Edmund J. Davis, First Texas Cavalry.

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY, NINETEENTH ARMY CORPS, Morganza, La., July 7, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have to report that in obedience to instructions from headquarters of the forces at this place, I started on the morning of the 5th instant for Simsport, on the Atchafalaya, taking with me 400 men. The object of the expedition was to ascertain the truth of a report coming from the gun-boats at the mouth of Red River, that the rebels were crossing artillery at Simsport. I soon ascertained that there was no truth in this statement. I found that the rebels had sent away their troops from the neighborhood of the Atchafalaya. Some of them have crossed Red River and others gone toward Alexandria and Shreveport. We only encountered a small picket of seven men and a lieutenant, of whom 3 were captured. These belonged to Gould's (Texas) regiment (Twenty-third Texas).

At Simsport two men belonging to same regiment and detailed as ferrymen were captured, with the flat-boat and yawl used at the ferry,and the boats destroyed. There was a small picket seen on the other bank of the Atchafalaya, which was driven away by a few shots from our men. I think there is no doubt that the most of the enemy's force has gone up and across Red River. On last Saturday (2nd instant) the rebel General Wharton with one brigade was at Trinity, on the west bank of Black River about thirty or forty miles west of Natchez. I could hear of no other troops or any artillery in his neighborhood, though I presume there must be some, as Wharton ranks as a major-general. We captured 7 prisoners in all, of whom one made his escape.

Respectfully,
EDMD. J. DAVIS,

Colonel, Commanding Cavalry, Nineteenth Army Corps.

Captain F. SPEED,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

JULY 5-10, 1864.- Expedition from New Madrid to Caruthersville, Mo., with skirmishes.

Reports of Lieutenant Colonel John T. Burris, Tenth Kansas Infantry.

WEAVERSVILLE, July 9, 1864.

(Via New Madrid.)

GENERAL: Have been scouting four days through the swamps of this regions with detachments of the First Missouri Volunteer Cavalry,