not been well for a few days past, otherwise would have sent this mail off before. To-morrow I hope to be out as usual.

I have the honor to be, your very obedient servant,

A. E. BURNSIDE,

Major-General, Commanding Department of North Carolina.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA,
New Berne, May 17, 1862.

General GEORGE B. McCLELLAN,

Commanding the Army of the Potomac:

GENERAL: I heard of your victories at Williamsburg and West Point, the evacuation of Norfolk, and the destruction of the Merrimac while I was on a visit to Roanoke Island and Elizabeth City, and I immediately returned to this place with the hope of finding the engines cars, and wagons required for immediately after the battle of New Berne, but none have yet arrived.

I am very much crippled for want of land transportation. I could not to-day muster a train of 25 wagons, which you know would not be sufficient to carry my ammunition, and, as you see, it would be almost fatal for me to make a move into the interior before they arrive.

I am anxiously awaiting dispatches from you before attempting another move. Everything is quiet in this vicinity, and I think the rebel force at Kinston, Raleigh, and Goldsborough are about the same as when I last wrote. The health of the command is improving.

Captain Thomas P. Ives will bear this dispatch to you.

Most heartily congratulating you on your brilliant success, I remain, general, your most obedient servant,

A. E. BURNSIDE,

Major-General, Commanding Department of North Carolina.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA,
New Berne, May 19, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I have the honor to report that since the sending of my last dispatch I have received accurate reports from the commanders of the reconnoitering parties in the direction of Kinston. Our exact loss was 2 wounded and 7 prisoners. That of the enemy was 11 killed and 15 or 20 wounded and 4 prisoners.

It was ascertained by this reconnaissance that the enemy had on the south side of the Trent River, in the neighborhood of Trenton, about 1,500 cavalry. The road from that place to Kinston is very heavily picketed, the main body being in and beyond Kinston, under the command of Ransom.

The force at Kinston and Goldsborough will probably concentrate, in case we advance up the country, at Falling Creek, about 7 miles above Kinston, on the railroad, at which point they are building some light breastworks, but are putting no heavy guns in position. Goldsborough is not being fortified at all, but we learn that Raleigh has been. The force on this line at this time, as near as we can learn, is two regiments of cavalry, four light batteries, and some fifteen regiments of