upper Monticello road. Left camp at daylight; marched within one mile and a half of Mount Elba. From there I marched by way of the Cornersville road within three miles and half of Vance's Ferry. Camped that night two miles north of Cornersville. Left camp at daylight; marched toward the upper Monticello road, which I struck about twenty miles south of here. Marched within eleven miles of this post, where I met the enemy, from twenty-five to thirty strong, marching toward Monticello. They broke upon getting sight of my command toward a creek bottom between the Warren and upper Monticello road, about one-half mile distant from the latter road. I charged them at once and found them in line of battle in the creek bottom facing the road they had come, but which I avoided, my guide, William Milton, knowing another crossing. This movement brought me upon their rear and also confused them, so much so that after our first fire they broke without firing a gun, abandoning mules and saddles, shotguns, muskets, and a great many blankets. On account of the many vines and thick underbrush in the creek bottom I was made to make any prisoners. I was also unable to learn to what command they belonged. The following information I obtained: Part of Parson's brigade at Warren picketing up and down the Saline; lines are crossed; citizens are not allowed to pass. All these pickets are stationed on the south side of the Saline with patrols and vedettes on the north side. As to their strength at these different ferries I learned as follows: At Mount Elba, 150; at Vance's Bluff, 50; and at Redden's Ferry, 150 men. I have also learned that a force, between 300 and 400 men, had crossed at Mount Elba on the 22nd of his month to join Logan's command on the north side of the Saline River and had marched up the Saline.

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

A. BECHAND,

Captain Company B, Thirteenth Illinois Cavalry.

Lieutenant S. MONTE CAMBERN,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 6. Report of Captain Gurnsey W. Davis, Thirteenth Illinois Cavalry.

PINE BLUFF, ARK., October 26, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report that on the morning of October 25 I took command of a detail of fifty men of the Thirteenth Illinois Cavalry Volunteers as escort to telegraph repairer on the line of the Little Rock road. We proceeded quietly on our way, discovering no sign of way House. Here our flankers on the left of the road discovered two mounted and armed men, who they fired at and put to fight. After carefully examining the woods thereabouts, we proceed half a mile farther on the road to a point where a road from the Arkansas River crosses. Here we found the wire down, and that a force of cavalry, supposed to be the enemy, had passed in the direction of the river; also that a smaller force, supposed to be a part of the same, had gone in the direction of Little Rock. We made a halt, and I drew my men up in line, which I had hardly accomplished, when our advance guard and flankers commenced firing on the enemy, whom they found in am-