clear out of sight, and having the good fortune of reporting but 1 man wounded, and he is severely; his name is William Marvin, Company E.

I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant,

WILLIAM HEBARD,

Captain, Commanding the Detach. 17th Ills. and Mo. State Militia.

Adjutant-General THOMAS,

War Department, Washington, D. C.

AUGUST 15-21, 1864.-Expedition from Paincourtville to Lake Natchez, La., with skirmish on Grand River.

Report of Colonel Hasbrouck Davis, Twelfth Illinois Cavalry.

NAPOLEONVILLE, August 21, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report that hearing reports from different quarters that the rebels were engaged in opening a road from the Grossetete in this direction, I sent out Captain R. A. Howk, Company L, Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, with twelve picked men from Companies L and I of that regiment, to ascertain if the reports had any foundation. The party left Paincourtville on Monday last at 4 p. m., crossed Grand Bayou; went thence to Bayou Goula; thence to Plaquemine; thence down the Plaquemine to Indian Village; thence to Grand River and down Grand River to near the head of Lake Natchez; but not being able to cross the swamps and get to Grand Bayou in that direction, Captain Howk was obliged to retrace his steps and return the way he went. On Grand River, near the Sorrel, he fell in with twenty-six men of Captain Ratcliff's company, under command of the captain, whom he reported chasing part of them over Grand River, with loss to the enemy of 1 killed and 1 wounded. People in the vicinity state that the company numbers about seventy men, located in that vicinity for bushwhacking. Captain Howk reports the roads in a very bad condition; that there is a tolerably good road direct from Indian Village to the head of Lake Natchez, but no practicable road from the Grand Bayou westerly to the lake, nor any way by which the lake can be reached from Grand Bayou nearer than by the Bayou Goula route. There is no returned safely with all his command yesterday after a absence of five days.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. DAVIS,

Colonel Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, Commanding Post.

Captain B. B. CAMPBELL,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS DEFENSES OF NEW ORLEANS, New Orleans, La., August, 27, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded.

This seems to be an intricate country, and I am endeavoring to get a good topography of it. It has been thus far very little understood. None of the maps I have seen give anything of correct indication of the practicable roads. I would like to obtain the services of a Mr. Hien, who, I am told, is a good topographical engineer and on duty in the engineer department.

T. W. SHERMAN,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.