The Second Brigade was commanded by Colonel Lee, and consisted of the following-named infantry and artillery: The Eighty-fifth New York Volunteers, One hundred and third Pennsylvania Volunteers, Riggs' battery, Fifth Massachusetts Volunteers, Eighth Massachusetts Volunteers, and One hundred and thirty-second New York Volunteers.

The Third Brigade was under the command of Colonel Bierer, and included the following regiments of infantry and pieces of artillery: Two pieces of artillery, One hundred and seventy-fifth Pennsylvania Militia, One hundred and fifty-eighth New York Volunteers, One hundred and seventy-first Pennsylvania Militia, One hundred and fifty eighth Pennsylvania Militia, and Fifth Rhode Island Volunteers.

The following official statement, purporting to show the true strength of the command, was also furnished me by General Palmer on the day the expedition was to leave, and it is the one referred to in General Palmer's order:

Official statement of troops that can be furnished Brigadier General H. Prince, U. S. Volunteers, commanding Expedition, April 8, 1863.

Men.

Eighty-fifth New York Infantry.............................. 445

One hundred and third Pennsylvania Infantry................. 471

Fifth Massachusetts Infantry................................ 593

Eighth Massachusetts Infantry............................... 271

One hundred and fifty-eighth New York Infantry............... 245

One hundred and thirty-second New York Infantry............. 555

Third Massachusetts Infantry................................ 674

Seventeenth Massachusetts Infantry.......................... 591

Forty-third Massachusetts Infantry.......................... 701

One hundred and first Pennsylvania Infantry................. 395

Ninety-sixth New York Infantry.............................. 278

One hundred and fifty-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry.......... 600

One hundred and fifty-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry.......... 600

One hundred and seventy-fifth Pennsylvania Infantry......... 600

Fifth Rhode Island Infantry................................. 388

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Total infantry.............................................. 7,407

Artillery, 16 guns.

Cavalry, two squadrons, 400 men.

By command of Brigadier General I. N. Palmer, commanding:

J. A. JUDSON,

Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

It is evident that this statement was prepared with the understanding that General Prince was to command. It represents the strength of the expedition to be 7.807, exclusive of the artillery, which was 316, as shown by a field report made at the time of starting, which would make the whole force 8,123; while the field report received from each brigade, together with the artillery and cavalry, half an hour before starting, showed the whole force to be but 6,465, instead of 8,123, a difference of 1,658 less than that show by the official statement.

The column moved promptly at 3 o'clock, and reached Little Swift Creek at 8 o'clock the same evening, having marched between 14 and 15 miles. The advance guard met the enemy's picket about 7 miles from Fort Anderson. They retreated without returning fire. Half an hour later three heavy guns were heard in the direction of Swift Creek Village, which I took for alarm guns of the enemy. From information of a character that seemed entirely reliable I learned that six regiments of infantry (about 6,000 men), under command of General Pettigrew, and one regiment of cavalry, under command of Colonel Claiborne, numbering about 1,000 men, were encamped at Walter Ruff's farm, on