Snead's Ferry 15 miles. The roads are quite good, being of sand, but the country is flat, and in wet seasons would not afford good camping grounds. Swansborough is a small place, easily defended, and can be approached by vessels drawing 8 feet of water. After spending two hours at Swansborough, during which time communicated with General Potter, we countermarched for 2 3/4 miles, when we took the right-hand road and joined the infantry at Morton's, near "The Tabernacle." We then marched on to Young's Cross-Roads, where we bivouacked for the night.

The next morning we marched for New Berne via Pollocksville.

Accompanying this report is a sketch of the roads passed over.*

Hoping that the information gained may be useful, I have the honor to be, general, your obedient servant,

FRANCIS U. FARQUHAR,

Second Lieutenant U. S. Engrs., and Chief Engr. 18th Corps d'Armee.

Major General J. G. FOSTER.

Numbers 6. Report of Colonel Silas P. Richmond, Third Massachusetts Infantry.

HDQRS. THIRD Regiment MASSACHUSETTS VOL. MILITIA,
Camp Jourdan, New Berne, N. C., March 12, 1863.

COLONEL: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by myself and command in the recent expedition under the command of General Prince:

On the evening of the 5th instant I received orders to march at 6 o'clock on the following morning with three days' cooked rations.

March 6.-Formed regimental line at 6 a.m., and almost immediately after joined a column consisting of Prince's division and took up the line of march toward Pollocksville. I marched 24 officers and 529 men. After crossing the Trent River I received an order detailing myself and command to the responsible and laborious position of escort to the subsistence train, which consisted of nearly 100 wagons heavily laden. I made the following distribution of my regiment: Two companies in advance, four companies in the center, and three companies in the rear of the train. We made good progress for about 6 miles, after which we encountered bad places in the road, which caused much delay and hard labor, but we finally succeeded in bringing the whole train to the place of bivouac at about 10 p.m. This was on the McDaniel's plantation, 4 miles beyond Pollocksville. The distance marched this day was said to be 18 miles.

March 7.-Early this morning I received orders to park the train in the best possible position, and with my regiment, a section of Morrison's battery, and a platoon of cavalry remain and defend it. I sent out the cavalry as patrols and five of my companies as pickets in different directions, holding the remainder of my command in a position near the train, which I had parked near the center of a broad field. During the morning the main column marched to Trenton and returned without meeting any opposing force. Nothing of importance happened at the place of bivouac during the absence of the commanding general. At 3 p.m. the whole force took up the line of march toward Young's Cross-Roads. My regiment was detailed to march in the rear of the train and a company of cavalry in my rear. The roads were exceedingly bad, and I had to detail a large number of my men to go forward and assist in getting the wagons over the bad places. The train moved very slowly,

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*Omitted as unimportant.

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