Numbers 2. Reports of Brigadier General Albert L. Lee, U. S. Army, commanding Cavalry Division.

BATON ROUGE, LA., October 9, 1864.

(Received 1.20 p. m.)

GENERAL: I am just returned; captured a lieutenant-colonel, captain, 2 lieutenants, and 43 enlisted men. At Greensburg burned a tannery and 2,000 sides of Confederate leather; at Osyka destroyed 4,000 pounds of bacon, 12 barrels of whisky, 100 dozen boots and shoes, and large quantity of corn and meal; also captured the telegraph operator and many important dispatches; destroyed Camp Moore and large amount of clothing and gray cloth; captured 200 head of horses and mules. Our stock is in good condition. Endless niggers have followed us in.

Yours, respectfully,

A. L. LEE,

Brigadier-General.

Brigadier-General DAVIDSON,

Chief of Cavalry.

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY DIVISION,
Baton Rouge, La., October 11, 1864.

GENERAL: In obedience to orders I marched out on the Greenville Springs road at 6 p. m. 5th instant, with 1,000 cavalry and three pieces of artillery. The command was formed as follows: Colonel John G. Fonda, One hundred and eighteenth Illinois Mounted Infantry, commanded the available force of the Eleventh New York and Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry; Lieutenant Colonel B. F. Marsh, jr., Second Illinois Cavalry, his regiment; Major B. Montgomery, Sixth Missouri Cavalry, a detachment of that regiment; Major N. F. Craigue, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry, a picked force of 100 men taken from the whole command, and uniformed to deceive the enemy; Second Lieutenant E. L. Hackett, First Wisconsin Battery, one gun of his battery and two mountain, howitzers detached from Sixth Missouri Cavalry. Marching rapidly, with only rests absolutely needed, my main force was at the Cheney place, on the west side of the Amite River, five miles beyond Williams' Bridge, thirty-six miles from Baton Rouge, and ten miles from Clinton, La., by daybreak.

Lieutenant-Colonel Marsh, placed in command of his regiment and Major Craigue's scouts, pushed rapidly forward to Clinton, and entered that town without opposition at 7 a. m. The Eleventh New York Cavalry, Major S. P. Remington commanding, followed to a point two miles from Clinton to support Colonel Marsh. The scouts under Major Craigue had the advance in entering Clinton. The management there was so clever that only or three of the enemy in the town escaped. Lieutenant-Colonel Pinkney, Eight Louisiana Battalion [Artillery]; formerly an officer in the U. S. Navy, and nineteen enlisted men of various commands, were captured. During daylight, 6th instant, the command rested. At 6 p. m. Major Montgomery, with 100 picked men, left camp, crossed the Amite River at Williams' Bridge, and reaching Greensburg, twenty miles distant, rested two hours, and then pushed on to Osyka, Miss., a station on the New Orleans and Jackson railroad, twenty miles farther, reaching there early in the morning. He did not deem it advisable to go farther, as there appeared to be nothing to gain without

56 R R-VOL XLI, PT I