from the time he reported to me for orders to the close of the expedition.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. H. HOBSON,

Brigade-General, Commanding Cavalry Expedition.

Lieutenant Colonel LEWIS RICHMOND,

Assistant Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Cincinnati.

Numbers 9. Report of Colonel August V. Kautz, Second Ohio Cavalry, commanding cavalry Brigade.

HDQRS. 1ST CAV. Brigadier, 3rd DIV., 23rd ARMY CORPS,
Lexington, Ky., August 11, 1863.

I have the honor to report taken by my command, consisting of the Second and Seventh Ohio Cavalry, in the pursuit and capture of General Morgan's forces, recently in Ohio.

At Winchester, Adams, County, Ohio, on the morning of the 16th of July, 1 was directed by general Hobson to press on with my command as fast as possible, and crowd the enemy as much as possible, without reference to the other forces engaged in the pursuit. I reached Jasper at 11 p. m., and there found my progress obstructed by the destruction of the brigade across the Scioto Canal. Five or six hours were requited to construct a bridge sufficient for the command to cross on the following morning, and it was therefore after night, on the 17th, when I reached Jackson. Anticipating an all-night march on the following night, I rested at Jackson until 3 a. m. on the 18th. I was joined at Jackson by Colonel Sanders, with detachments of the Eighth and Ninth Nichigan cavalry and two pieces of artillery. At Rutland I got reliable information that Morgan intended to cross the Ohio River at Buffington Island, and, halting only to feed and refresh the men, I pushed on through Chester, and followed the enemy on the Chester and Portland road. Soon after daylight the enemy's pickets fired on our advance about 2 miles from Portland. Believing the enemy to be crossing the Ohio, I decided to attack immediately, hoping to disconcert the enemy thereby, through I could not parade more than 200 men.

Colonel Sanders was an hour behind with the artillery, and General Shackelford could not be much nearer than Chester, 12 or 14 miles distant. I had reason to believe that General Judah was not far off, and that the gunboats be near on the river, but I had no reliable information when either would be on hand.

The Second and Seventh were dismounted and deployed as skirmishers, and the enemy driven out of the woods, when the artillery and Colonel Sander's command came up. The artillery was immediately opened and the enemy soon began a precipitate retreat, as, about the same time, we heard artillery on the right, and soon after the heavier guns of the gunboats, and the retreat soon degenerated into a general rout.

Colonel Sanders was directed to pursue with the Eight and Ninth Michigan Cavalry, whilst I sent a dispatch to the rear that the enemy had retreated up the river, and recommended that they be intercepted on some cross-roads, as the Chester and Portland road runs nearly parallel