Without tents of any kind and not a too plentiful supply of rations, I have never heard a word of complaint or dissatisfaction. The health of the command has continued excellent.

To my personal staff, who accompanied me on the expedition, Captain W. H. Morgan, assistant adjutant-general; Capts. John Whytock and G. W. Ring, I am under many obligations for efficient services.

Respectfully, yours,

C. C. WASHBURN,

Brigadier-General.

Captain JOHN E. PHILLIPS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 5.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel John S. Griffith, Sixth Texas Cavalry, commanding Cavalry Brigade, of skirmish at Oakland, Miss., December 3.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST TEXAS CAVALRY BRIGADE, Yalabusha County, Miss., December 5, 1862.

GENERAL: In obedience to your order I left Tobytubbyville on the 29th ultimo with the First Texas Legion, numbering 458 men, under command of Lieutenant Colonel [E. R.] Hawkins; the Third Texas Regiment (437 men), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel [J. S.] Boggess; the Sixth Texas Regiment (369 men), commanded by Captain Jack Wharton, and Captain Francis McNally's battery of four guns, under command of Lieutenant David W. Hudgens.

On the 30th I arrived, after a forced march, at Oakland, and hearing that a body of 2,000 of the enemy's cavalry had crossed the Memphis and Grenada Railroad 5 or 6 miles south of this point en route for Coffeeville, and to destroy the Central Railroad between this place and Grenada, I gave pursuit. The enemy hearing of my approach fled back to Charleston and Mitchell's Cross-Roads, near to Bird's Ferry, on the Yocknapatalfa.

On the 1st instant I went down on the west side of the Central Railroad to Grenada, restored confidence there, causing several trains to be sent up to the army then retreating. Called on General Winter, who was then in command at this point, and by whom I was informed that the enemy were in Preston in strong force. I determined to go to Preston at once, attack and harass them, and, if possible, keep them off our train then coming down the Central road to Grenada, knowing that if they proved too heavy for me I could show them that Texans could retreat when necessary as well as fight. The rain pouring down in torrents making the roads heavy, I left my battery with a small detachment of men whose horses had already given out by the continued forced marches I had made from pillar to post in order to both find the enemy and create an impression upon them that there was a large force in this section.

On the 2nd instant I dashed into Preston and found the enemy had fallen back to Mitchell's Cross-Roads for re-enforcements upon hearing I had arrived at Grenada.

On the morning of the 3rd I moved up toward Oakland. Arriving