brought in a major, a captain, and some 30 non-commissioned officers and privates. An act of rash bravery rarely equaled.

All which is respectfully submitted.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

DAVID A. TAYLOR,

Captain and Chief Acting Signal Officer, Dept. of N. C.

Major ALBERT J. MYER,

Signal Officer, U. S. Army.

No. 4. Report of Colonel James H. Ledlie, Third New York Light Artillery, Chief of Artillery, commanding Artillery Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS ARTILLERY BRIGADE,
New Berne, N. C., December 24, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this brigade in connection with the recent expedition:

The artillery under my command consisted of Batteries B, E, F, H, I, and K, Third New York Artillery; Battery F, First Rhode Island Artillery, and a section each of the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth New York Independent Batteries.

Leaving New Berne December 11, at 7 a.m., marched 14 miles. About 5 p.m., December 12, the Twenty-third New York Independent Battery, Captain Ransom, was left, with the Fifty-first Massachusetts Volunteers, to guard the bridge over Beaver Creek, 13 miles from Kinston. Captain Ransom remained there until the 14th, when he moved toward Kinston, and, supported by a company of the Fifth Massachusetts Volunteers, was assigned to the defense of a bridge near there. On the 15th he rejoined the main column.

About 9 a.m. December 13 the right section of Battery B, Third New York Artillery, under Lieutenant Day, which had been sent in advance of the main column with a squadron of cavalry, engaged a force of the enemy at Southwest Creek and shelled an earthwork commanding the bridge. The remaining two sections of Battery B, under Captain Morrison, were shortly after brought up and fired about 40 rounds. Batteries E, F, H, and K, Third New York Artillery, were brought into position on the center and left of our line, but did not open fire.

December 14, the skirmishers of the Ninth New Jersey Volunteers having engaged the enemy, the right section of Battery B, Third New York Artillery, under Lieutenant Day, was sent forward and took position in the road leading to the river bridge. The remaining sections of the battery, under Captain Morrison, were posted in an open field on the right of the road and shelled the woods. Battery F, Third New York Artillery, Captain Jenney, came into battery on the left of the road, 200 yards in rear, and fired at the bridge at the distance of 1/4 miles, the direction and distance being given by a guide. Batteries E and I, Third New York Artillery, were ordered to the support of Captain Morrison, and a section of Captain Jenney's battery, under Lieutenant Birchmeyer, was then ordered to the support of Colonel Heckman, Ninth New Jersey, on the extreme right, and opened on the enemy with great effect. The remaining two sections of the battery were soon after sent to the support of Colonel Heckman, and, moving down within