nd United States Fords. My company is at the
captain's headquarters, and acts as grand guard.

_Sunday, August 30._--To-day I accompanied the division and brigade
officers of the day in their visit to and inspection of the pickets
along the Rappahannock. Our ride was very pleasant. Captain Barker, of
the Fifth New York Cavalry, dined with Captain Mitchell and myself. He
is a lively companion; was in the hands of Mosby last Spring; and has a
fund of amusing and interesting incidents of army-life with which to
enliven his conversation.

On the last day of August, Captain Mitchell was ordered to report to the
regiment at Hartwood Church, with his reserves. The pickets are to
remain on the river until attacked by the enemy or recalled by orders
from division headquarters.

CAVALRY GUNBOAT EXPEDITION.

_September 4._--To break the monotony of picketing and to subserve the
cause of freedom, a most novel scheme was lately undertaken, known as
Kilpatrick's Gunboat Expedition. The object was to destroy a portion of
the Rebel navy anchored in the Rappahannock, near Port Conway, opposite
Port Royal. This peculiar kind of warfare, which required genius and
dash, was waged by the troopers with complete success, and they returned
to their bivouac fires to enliven the weary hours with stories of their
long march down the river, and their destructive charge upon the
gunboats of the enemy. The expedition set out about two o'clock on the
morning of September first.

Doctor Lucius P. Woods, Surgeon-in-Chief of the First Brigade, Third
Division, gives the following interesting description of the above raid
in a letter to Mrs. Woods:

"I returned yesterday after a three days' expedition after gunboats! We
all laughed at the order sending cavalry after such craft, but I am
happy to say that the object of the expedition was accomplished. We left
camp at two o'clock A. M., marched all day and all the following night,
till three o'clock next morning, when we made a furious charge upon
Rebel infantry. They ran so fast as to disarrange the general's plan of
attack. The morning was so dark that we could not see one rod in advance.

"We captured twelve or fifteen prisoners, and General Kilpatrick gave
orders in their hearing to have the whole command fall back, stating
that the gunboats would be alarmed and the expedition be a failure. The
general took particular pains to allow half the prisoners to escape and
to get across the Rappahanno