FEBRUARY 29-MARCH 5, 1864. -Expedition to Petersburg and destruction of Saltpeter-Works near Franklin, W. Va.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel Augustus I. Root, Fifteenth New York Cavalry.

HDQRS. FIFTEENTH Regiment NEW YORK VOL. CAV.,
Camp near Burlington, W. Va., March 8, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report to you, for the information of the colonel commanding, that in obedience to an order received from division headquarters on the 28th day of February, 1864, I moved with my command, 400 strong, at 8 p. m., on the 29th ultimo, toward Petersburg, W. Va., and arrived there at daylight on the 1st instant, meeting with no opposition and finding no enemy there. I strongly picketed all approaches to the place, and camped my command in a ravine about 1 mile from town.

During the day I directed the detached portions of the command that had reported to me to take three days' ration in haversacks and two days' forage for animals on the horses, and be prepared to move at 8 p. m. One of the wagons of my command containing supplies not coming up I could only take two days' rations for men and animals for the Fifteenth New York Cavalry. The command that I had been informed would report to me at Petersburg on the 1st instant to take charge of my wagons did not arrive until 8 p. m. Before I could have formed the command, drawn in my pickets, and crossed the river, it would have been 2 o'clock, and from the bad condition of the roads it would have been impossible for me to have reached Franklin at daylight on the 2nd instant, and owing to the snow-storm of the previous twenty-four hours my men and animals had been unable to obtain any rest, and upon the suggestion of Captain Pease, of your staff, I decided not to move until the evening of the 2nd instant.

At 7 p. m., on the 2nd, I moved forward and arrived at Franklin a little after daylight on the 3rd. Finding no enemy there I moved forward, with one squadron, to the saltpeter-works, 4 miles south of the town, and completely destroyed the buildings and all the materials for carrying on the works.

Being satisfied from the information that had been obtained that there was o force of the enemy in the Crab Bottom country, and learning that the enemy's forces had been ordered to concentrate on the South Fork, I decided to move directly to Circleville, distant 15 miles. I left Franklin at 3 p. m., crossed the North Mountain, and reached Circleville at 7 p. m., and camped. Moved forward at daylight down the North Fork. Near evening I received information from a citizen (Mr. Carr) that a part of the force left in charge of my train at Petersburg had been captured and the balance of it had fallen back. I pushed forward and took up a position at the junction of the Greenland and North Fork roads, arriving there at 3 a. m. of the 5th, having marched 37 miles.

In the mean time I had sent Lieutenant Gibson, of the Ringgold Calvary, with 10 men to ascertain what force (if any) of the enemy were in my front. I received a report from him at daylight, that he had been into Petersburg and there was no force there. I immediately moved forward, arriving there at 12 m. Finding no rations or forage there for my command I decided to move at once to Burlington, where I arrived at 11 p. m.