AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 3, 1864.- Expedition up White River from Helena, Ark., with affair (September 3) at Kendall's Grist-Mill, Ark.

Report of Colonel John G. Hudson, Sixtieth U. S. Colored Troops.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTIETH U. S. COLORED INFANTRY,
Helena, Ark., September 4, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report, agreeably to instructions from headquarters District of Eastern Arkansas, dated Helena, Ark., August 29, 1864, which placed me in command, upon expedition up White River, and known as the expedition from Helena. This command was composed as follows: Major Carmichael, Fifteenth Illinois Cavalry Volunteers, 125 men; Major Wells, Fifty-sixth U. S. Colored Infantry, 180 men; Captain Bancroft, Second U. S. Colored Light Artillery, Company E, one section, 45 men; Captain Eli Ramsey, sixtieth U. S. Colored Infantry, 150 men; total, 500 men. We embarked on steamers Dove and Hamilton Belle August 29 at 8 p. m. Arrived at mouth White River August 30, 6 a. m. Left mouth White River 8 a. m. and arrived at Maddox Bayou, where this command debarked at 6 p. m. August 31. Went in camp for the night one miles back from the river. Thursday, September 1, struck camp at 5 a. m.; marched thirty miles and camped at Mr. Brown's, on Clarendon and Helena road, at 7 p. m. Friday, September 2, struck camp at 6 a. m. Arrived at Big Creek, ten miles, at 3 p. m. Ferried half the cavalry, all the artillery and infantry, across in two hours. Left Wallace's Ferry, Big Creek, at 5 p. m., leaving half the cavalry to cross over after we had started with the balance of the command. Went into camp at Lick Creek 6 p. m. Saturday, September 3, struck camp at 6 a. m.; reached Helena 5 p. m., a march of seventeen miles, making in total from Maddox Bayou to helena by land fifty-eight miles, making the march in three days. This command wa two days on transports from Helena via White River to Maddox Bayou; total number of days out from Helena, five. We did not find any enemy until we reached Big Creek. Lieutenant Collins, in command of a company of the Fifteenth Illinois Cavalry, was sent to burn Kendall's grist-mill on the 3rd of September, when his command saw a rebel major who had a rebel escort of lieutenant and sixteen of the Nineteenth Texas Cavalry, and captured one soldier of the party with two revolvers. The rest crossed on the east side of Big Creek and took to the canebrakes, where they escaped. The 2nd of september one company of Dobbin's command left Trenton to join Dobbin, who was reported to be near Casa. Captain Swan was reported to be at Big Creek with a company of conscripts. He is doing picket duty there and gathering up conscripts for the rebel service. We captured 19 horses and 16 mules, and 17 head of beef-cattle. See Lieutenant William A. E. Tisdale's (acting assistant quartermaster for the expedition), report marked A.* Sixty-five buildings were burnt down, including houses, cotton-gins, presses, and Kendal's grist-mill. I burnt nothing only known to be rebel buildings and where rebel soldiers were in the habit of quartering.

The following is the list of prisoners captured by the command: Charles E. Williams, citizen; William Guble, citizen; James F. Humphreys, citizen; T. W. Yates, discharged soldier; S. C. McComas, private Nineteenth Texas Cavalry.

---------------

* Omitted.

---------------