say that you will please render any assistance called for and give immediate notice of any information you may obtain in regard to the expedition.

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

F. W. FOX,

Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF MISSISSIPPI,
Memphis, Tenn., January 28, 1865.

Brigadier General J. W. DAVIDSON,

Commanding District of Natchez:

GENERAL: By direction of the major-general commanding department I have the honor to inform you that Colonel E. D. Osband, commanding Cavalry Division, Department of Mississippi, has landed at Gaines' Landing with 3,000 men, with the purpose of engaging and punishing the rebel force under Harrison, and of driving them beyond the Washita. The transports, after lying about a week at Skipwith's Landing, will proceed to Vicksburg and coal, and from there will probably proceed to Natchez. He also directs me to say that Colonel Osband expected to come out on the Mississippi River in the vicinity of Vidalia about the 10th of February. You will please furnish the transports with what fuel they may require, and upon the arrival of Colonel Osband facilitate his immediate return to Memphis. You will please furnish such information as you may obtain regarding the expedition.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

F. W. FOX,

Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS EXPEDITION,
Steamer John Ravine, Eunice, Ark., January 28, 1865.

Major General N. J. T. DANA,

Commanding:

GENERAL: Without any accident worth the mention we landed here at 2 a. m. and will be ready to leave here in about one hour and a half, or the moment it is daylight. The fleet laid at Island 63 yesterday about six hours and took on 300 cords wood, thus having fuel enough to run them back to Memphis. I send nine small steamers back and retain the five large. My orders are that these boats remain at Gaines' Landing forty-eight hours and at Skipwith's six days and then report to Brigadier-General Brayman, at Vidalia. All I learn of the country is against the probability of successful movements at this time, but I shall not fail, except to succeed be impossible. I have landed here at Eunice, the terminus of the railroad, because it has a better landing than Gaines'; has no one on the lookout to watch our landing, and the road to the interior is a little better through the first swamp. The roads join six miles from here.

I have the honor, general, to remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. D. OSBAND,

Colonel Third U. S. Colored Cavalry, Commanding Expedition.