of the enemy. Through some reason, as yet unexplained, he failed to move until 5. 30. Had he moved at the time, he would have met the enemy approaching the corral, surprised them, and no doubt captured a food portion, as they did not attack until 4. 30 a. m. We, however, followed them up and gave them a severe whipping, taking their forge and battery wagon. During this movement of the enemy, I was in Memphis, by order of my commanding officer, but the dispositions made by Captain G. E. Spencer, any assistant adjutant-general were such that had I been present I could not have improved them, and, had they been promptly obeyed, they would without doubt have been entirely successful.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. M. DODGE,

Brigadier-General.

Lieutenant Colonel HENRY BINMORE,

Assistant Adjutant-General, SIXTEENTH Army Corps.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Memphis, Tenn., July 15, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel John A. RAWLINS,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Department:

Respectfully forwarded to department headquarters, with the additional information that the animals have since been retaken.

S. A. HURLBUT,

Major-General.

Numbers 3. Report of Colonel Florence M. Cornyn, Tenth Missouri Cavalry, commanding Expedition. HDQRS. THIRD CAV. Brigadier, LEFT WING SIXTEENTH A. C., Corinth, July 9, 1863.

GENERAL: On the morning of the 7th, having received instructions to proceed with my brigade put on the Burnssville road, to make a reconnaissance in force, I left Corinth at about daylight, with the Seventh Kansas Cavalry, Colonel T. P. Herrick; eighty companies of the Tenth Missouri Cavalry, Major F. W. Benteen, and the detachment of the Fifteenth Illinois Cavalry, Lieutenant Colonel F. T. Gilbert, in all about 750 men, and moved out by the way of the North Farmington road, On reaching the corral on this road, we found that the enemy, with twelve companies of mounted men, had, a short time before our arrival, surrounded and attacked the small force guarding that point, and, after overpowering and taking the most of them prisoners, had decamped with all the stock that was in the corral.

After making a few inquiries from the neighbors, I started in pursuit out by the said road, when, finding that the enemy had taken a route by the way of the Hamburg road, I concluded to pursue him by that route by the way of the Hamburg road, I concluded to pursue him by that route. His traces guided us by by-roads, through swamps, and over hills, until we reached the main road leading from Red Sulphur Springs to Iuka, which road he had taken to that town.

Taking this last-named road, we came upon the enemy in force, posted