Naglee to halt the column when it arrived, bivouac, and move forward early in the morning, the general proceeding in the direction of Washington, accompanied by his staff. As soon as the cavalry arrived and had fed their horses I ordered them to follow, which they did, coming up with the general about 8 miles from our encampment.

At 5.30 a. m., column again in motion, received orders that upon arriving at the road leading to Hill's Point to take one regiment of infantry and ascertain if the fort was occupied, and, if so, by whom. Accompanied and ascertain if the fort was occupied, and, if so, by whom. Accompanied by my staff and followed by the Ninth New Jersey Volunteers I rode into the fort and found it occupied by detachments of the Forty-third and Forty-fourth Regiments Massachusetts Volunteers.

At 12 m. received orders to continue the march toward Washington, leaving the Ninth New Jersey and Twenty-third Massachusetts at Hill's Point. Placed the Seventeenth Massachusetts in advance, and arrived at Washington at 3 p. m. The Ninth New Jersey Volunteers arrived by boat from Hill's Point at 5 p. m. Left on steamer Escort for New Berne, N. C., on the 20th and reached here at 6 a. m. 21st.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. A. HECKMAN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Brigade.

Lieutenant Colonel SOUTHARD HOFFMAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Eighteenth Army Corps.

Numbers 7. Itinerary of the Fourth Division, Eighteenth Army Corps, Brigadier General Henry W. Wessells, U. S. Army, commanding, March 15-April 13.*

March 15.-The Forty-fourth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia received marching orders and proceeded to Washington, N. C., by transport, where they remained until April 22, when they returned to New Berne.

March 30.-Companies A and G went on a scout, and, filling into an ambuscade, returned to Washington, with a loss of 3 men wounded and prisoners and Captain Richardson wounded. The rebels the next day blockaded the Pamlico River and laid siege to the town, keeping up a continuous firing until the 16th, when they withdrew their forces and abandoned the siege.

April 13.-Colonel Sisson, with the Fifth Rhode Island Regiment, succeeded in running the enemy's batteries, re-enforcing the garrison at Washington without loss.

Numbers 8. Reports of Brigadier General Henry Prince, U. S. Army, commanding Fifth Division, of operations on the Pamlico, April 4-6, and Expedition from New Berne toward Kinston, April 16-21, with resulting correspondence.

HDQRS. FIFTH DIVISION, EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
New Berne, N. C., April 13, 1863.

COLONEL: My last formal dispatch was dated April 3, at which time I was present at department headquarters here. I left next morning

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*From Division Return for April, 1863.

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