of the ways that the exigencies of the service may require. I am happy also to bear witness to the energetic and conscientiously careful discharge of duty on the part of Captain Lee, with whom I was associated, as I have stated, and to whom I am greatly indebted for valuable assistance and counsel on our solitary night march and bivouac, and who, I am glad to learn, on subsequent detached duty added to his reputation and performed valuable service.

I should deprive myself also of a pleasure if I omitted to call to your notice the fact that the adjutant of our regiment, James G. Smith, commencing the expedition suffering from a painful accidental shot wound in the leg, still insisted upon accompanying the regiment, and though having double duty to perform, in the absence of one of the field officers, still manfully endured all the toils of the march and the field and rendered me invaluable service in the management and control of the regiment. I should also state that Colonel Bowler accompanied the expedition until after the affair at Kinston, but was unable by reason of indisposition to assume command, and felt constrained by increasing illness to return to New Berne on the morning of the third of the expedition.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM S. SHURTLEFF,

Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding Forty-sixth Massachusetts Volunteers.

Colonel HORACE C. LEE,

Commanding Third Brigade, First Division.

No. 23. Report of Colonel Charles A. Heckman, Ninth New Jersey Infantry, First Brigade, Second Division.

HDQRS. NINTH REGIMENT NEW JERSEY VOLUNTEERS,
Camp Reno, December 21, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report that in accordance with your order I on the morning of the 11th with my regiment took my position on the right of the column, which position it retained during the whole march.

On the second day, December 12, we came up with the advance guard of the enemy. I immediately deployed two companies as skirmishers, and drove the enemy back without loss on our side.

On the morning of December 13, at 11 a.m., we came up with the enemy, who had two guns in position on the west bank of Southwest Creek, supported by infantry. I here found Captain Cole, Third New York Cavalry, with his men dismounted, warmly engaged with the enemy. Lieutenant-Colonel Mix had placed Lieutenant Day's section of Morrison's battery in a good position and was sending shell into them rapidly. I immediately ordered Companies C, H, and G to cross the stream on the right, while with the remainder of the regiment I crossed at a mill-dam about a mile above on the left. On arriving at their works from their rear I found it deserted and the guns withdrawn. My whole command having joined me I stationed one company at the bridge and with the balance, having sent you word of my intention, proceeded up the road, and when about a mile from the creek was saluted by a round of canister from a 6-pounder and musketry. I charged on the