HDQRS. THIRD BRIGADE, SECOND CAVALRY DIVISION, December 16, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of this brigade in the recent expedition upon the Weldon railroad:

Wednesday morning, the 7th instant, the brigade left camp at 4 o'clock and marched to Freeman's Ford, via Lee's Mill and Proctor's house, having the rear of the division. The Sixth Ohio was left in camp with orders to report to Colonel Kerwin, of the Thirteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Second Brigade. The Second New York Mounted Rifles were also detailed to guard the flank of the infantry and were retained on duty with the infantry until the expedition returned. The command forded the Nottoway River, proceeded to Sussex Court-House, and bivouacked. At 4 o'clock on the morning of the 8 the the command moved, via Coman's Well, to the railroad. This brigade was dispatched to destroy the railroad bridge across the Nottoway River, after which it joined the division in destroying the road from that point toward Jarratt's Station until evening, when the command moved to Jarratt's Station and bivouacked. Next morning advanced to Belfield, engaged in destroying the road between that point and Three Creeks till late in the evening, and remained until 5 o'clock in the morning. A snowstrom was raging and the weather was very cold. On the morning of the 10th the entire command began to return and this brigade, with a section of Dennison's battery, was left to cover the rear. At first the enemy advanced vsery boldly. He opesnesd with two piecses of artillery and showed a strong force, mounted andd dismounted. For about four miles he pressed the rear very heavily, but being steadily met by Dennison's battery and the Twenty-first Pennsylvania and the First Maine Regiments he soon abandoned the pursuit. Bivouacked that night three miles from Sussex Court-House. The morning of the 11st advanced, via Sussex Court-House, to Freeman's Ford, thence to camp, where there the brigade arrived Monday morning, the 12th instant, about 1 o'clock.

The following is a list of casualties.*

C. H. SMITH,
Brevet Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding Brigade.

Captain A. H. BIBBER,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Second Cavalry Division.

Numbers 245. Report of Captain Lemuel B. Norton, Signal Corps, U. S. Army, Chief Signal Officer, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, of operations August 1-31.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER, September 2, 1864.

MAJOR:+

During the month of August the same signal stations and lines were operated that were worked through the month of July, and the following new ones opened: On the 5th a line of sight was cut through the

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*Nominal list (here omitted) shows 1 commissioned officer and 5 enlisted men killed, 26 enlisted men wounded, and 2 commissioned officers and 37 enlisted men missing.

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+For portion of report here omitted, see Vol. XXXVI, Part II, p. 20, and Vol. XL, Part I, p. 681.