we lost 3 wounded. We were greatly aided here by the Potomska, which from a bend below shelled the woods. Under the guns of the Potomska we landed at Colonel Brailsford's, drove in a company of pickets from his regiment and destroyed all the property on the place, together with the most important buildings.

I am greatly indebted to Lieutenant Budd for the success of this day.

The colored men fought with astonishing coolness and bravery. For alacrity in effecting landings, for determination and for bush fighting I found them all I could desire-more than I had hoped. They behaved bravely gloriously and deserve all praise.

I started from Saint Simon's with 62 colored fighting men and returned to Beaufort with 156 fighting men (all colored). As soon as we took a slave from his claimant we placed a musket in his hand and he began to fight for the freedom of others.

Besides these men we brought off 61 women and children. We destroyed nine large salt-works, together with $20,000 worth of horses, salt, corn, rice, &c., which we could not carry away.

I am very respectfully, your obedient servant,

O. T. BEARD,

Lieutenant Colonel Forty-eighth New York Vols., Commanding Expedition

Brigadier General RUFUS SAXTON,

Military Governor, Department of the South.

NOVEMBER 13-18, 1862. - Expedition from Beaufort, S. C., to Doboy River, Ga.

REPORTS,

Numbers 1. - Brigadier General Rufus Saxton, U. S. Army.

Numbers 2. - Lieutenant Colonel Oliver T. Beard, Forty-eighth New York Infantry, commanding expedition.

Numbers 1. Report of Brigadier General Rufus Saxton, U. S. Army.

BEAUFORT, S. C., November 25, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to inclose for your information the report of our expedition to Doboy River, Georgia:

The expedition was composed of three companies of the First South Carolina Volunteers (colored), under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Oliver T. Beard, Forty-eight New York Volunteers, and was in every respect a success.

It gives me pleasure to bear witness to the good conduct of the negro troops. They fought with the most determined bravery. Although scarcely one month since the organization of this regiment was commenced in that short period these untrained soldiers have captured from the enemy an amount of property equal in value to the cost of the regiment for a year. They have driven back equal numbers of rebel troops, and have destroyed the salt-works along the whole line of this coast.