sacks, haversacks, canteens, &c., the whole worth not less than $10,000.

This, I believe, is the first instance during the war on our side where fire has accompanied the sword. It is to be regretted that such severe measures have to be adopted; they can only be justified upon two grounds-first, retaliation for trying to decoy us into a trap at the time of the firing into the Delaware. Evidence of this is that a negress, the property of one of the Confederate officers, was sent down to the wharf by her master to beckon the boat in to the wharf, when we were all to be slaughtered, or in the words of the negress, "Dey said dat dey wan't goin' to let anybody lib at all, but was goin' to kill ebery one's of'em." I infer from this that we were to received no quarter. Second, the buildings fired had been taken possession of by and were in the use of the rebel forces as store-houses and quarters, which forces had been raised, supported, and used by the States in rebellion for the purpose of subverting the Constitution and the laws of the United States.

From information obtained at Winton we came to the conclusion that it would be impossible for us to accomplish the original object and aim of the expedition, so it had to be abandoned.

The forces at Winton, as near as I could ascertain, consisted of the First Battalion North Carolina Volunteers (six companies), under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William T. Williams; one battery of light artillery; one company of the Southampton cavalry, and one or two companies of the North Carolina Militia, the whole under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Williams.

I am happy to inform you that none of our forces were injured. The enemy sustained some loss from the fire of our gunboats on the 19th, but I am not able to state how many were either killed or wounded.

The troops under my command and the officers and sailors on board of the gunboats behaved exceedingly well, and performed all of their various duties with great promptness and alacrity.

I feel greatly indebted to Commodore S. C. Rowan and the lieutenants of the U. S. Navy, in command of the gunboats, for their kind care and attention to the comforts and wants of my regiment, and also of for their hearty co-operation in trying to carry out the object of the expedition.

I am, most faithfully, your obedient servant,

RUSH C. HAWKINS,

Colonel Ninth Regiment New York Volunteers.

Brigadier General J. G. PARKE.

MARCH 14, 1862.-Battle of New Berne, N. C.

REPORTS, ETC.

Numbers 1.-Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside, U. S. Army, with congratulatory order and communication from the Secretary of War.

Numbers 2.-Captain Robert S. Williamson, U. S. Topographical Engineers.

Numbers 3.-Surg. William H. Church, U. S. Army, Medical Director.

Numbers 4.-Brigadier General John G. Foster, U. S. Army, commanding First Brigade.

Numbers 5.-Lieutenant Colonel Albert W. Drake, Tenth Connecticut Infantry.

Numbers 6.-Colonel John Kurtz, Twenty-third Massachusetts Infantry.

Numbers 7.-Colonel Thomas G. Stevenson, Twenty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry.

Numbers 8.-Colonel Edwin Upton, Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Infantry.