Numbers 16. Reports of Major Hugh Fullerton, SECOND Illinois Cavalry, commanding Cavalry. JULY 12, 1863.

GENERAL: In obedience to your order of yesterday, I started last night about 10 o'clock with all the cavalry I could raise and about 50 mounted infantry, in all about 500 men. I went to the railroad south of this. I went to Byram Station, about 11 miles from here; there I burned a railroad bridge and tore up some of the track. I also destroyed a ferry-boat at that place. Crossing Pearl River, I destroyed the depot and water-tank and 3 or 4 freight cars and a lot of molasses and sugar. I then destroyed in railroad bridge about 3 miles be; low Byram Station. The country on the railroad is generally level, good farms, and fine growing crops of corn. I had to travel a little to the north of the railroad, as I could not travel with cavalry on the line of the boat but very little of the way. The enemy made no demonstrations on going out, but fired a few times at us a we returned. I tore up but little of the track, for the reason that I had nothing in the world to do it with. I burned

in fall five bridges on the road.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

HUGH FULLERTON,

Major, Commanding Detachment.

General E. O. C. ORD,

Commanding Thirteenth Army Corps.

HEADQUARTERS Cavalry, thirteenth ARMY CORPS,
Near Jackson, MISS., July 20, 1863.

COLONEL: In obedience to orders of the 16th instant, I did, with all the cavalry in my command, and a detachment of the One hundred and eighteenth Illinois Infantry, proceed south of the line of the railroad, and, after about 18 miles, we halted and tore up and destroyed effectually about one-fourth of a mile of railroad track. We found it very difficult to destroy the road with the tools we had, having nothing but axes to work with, and the bars being fastened together by plates bolted together by large bolts screwed on.

We moved nearly next morning to Hazlehurst. We there destroyed the depot, the switches, and a large not of lumber belonging to the company. We then moved on rapidly to Bahala. There we destroyed the railroad depot, the switches, and about 200 cars. We then pushed on to Brookhaven, where we found 4 locomotives and 8 cars, all of which. We destroyed effectually. We also destroyed a large amount of lumber and 70 hogsheads of sugar and three switches, the depot and water-tank having been destroyed before the arrived there. We captured and paroled 23 prisoners(1 captain ans 22 enlisted men). We also captured Major George McKnight, assistant adjutant-general on General Loring's staff, and Captain D. C. Stith, aide-de-camp to General Lee; also 15 privates, all of whom U turned over to Captain [Joseph B.]Gorsuch, provost-marshal Thirteenth Army Corps. We then returned by Gallatin and Crystal Springs, where we destroyed the depot and switches and 4 railroads cars.

On the expedition there were quite a number of horses and mules cap-

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