on the opposite side of Bogue Inlet. It was replied to by Lieutenant Barstow, signal officer, who accompanied a party under command of Colonel Sprague, of the Fifty-first Massachusetts Volunteers. We sent several official messages; Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis, who was in command of the cavalry and to whom I was ordered to report by General Prince, sending messages across the inlet and receiving reply in return. There was nothing worthy of note on our return to New Berne.

Immediately on returning to New Berne I went to my station on the south side of the Neuse River, a short distance from General Foster's headquarters. I remained there, communicating with Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson on the opposite side.

On Saturday, March 14, at 5.45 a.m. I received the following official message from the fort:

To General FOSTER:

The enemy have attacked our pickets with artillery and infantry. They are in large force. The colonel wants more men.

BARSTOW.

I immediately sent the message to General Foster. In a few minutes the general came and told me to send to Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson, who was then in command of the Ninety-second New York, to hold out as long as he could and not surrender unless he was compelled to.

I also received and sent a large number of messages from the fort asking for more troops and re-enforcements, which I replied to, by order from General Foster, that re-enforcements would be there in a short time and that the gunboats were getting in position. I also received messages directing the fire of the gunboats and stating the location of the enemy. I also received messages from the gunboats Hunchback, Lockwood, and Shawsheen.

On the evening of the 14th I was ordered on board the commodore's boat Hetzel; remained there until 9 a.m., March 15, when I was ordered on gunboat Allison to proceed up the Neuse River on a reconnaissance.

We went up the river to Street's Ferry, a distance of 12 miles. The enemy had retreated beyond this point. We found four of the enemy's pickets; they skedaddled. We then shelled the woods for an hour, and returned to New Berne the same day.

With great respect, I remain, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH FRICKER,

First Lieutenant, 8th, Pa. R. V. C., and Actg. Sig. Officer 18th A. C.

Captain D. A. TAYLOR,

Chief Acting Signal Officer, Eighteenth Army Corps.

Numbers 4. Report of Surg. Pitkin B. Rice, One hundred and thirty-second New York Infantry, Chief Medical Officer.

HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, FIFTH DIV., EIGHTEENTH A. C.,
New Berne, March 12, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to make the following report of the expedition just returned:

The division, commanded by Brigadier General Henry Prince, comprised of the two brigades commanded, respectively, by Brigadier General F. B. Spinola