Mills, the rebels opened upon us with artillery, before my advanced guard discovered them.

I immediately reconnoitred their position, and found that they were posted in an advantageous position, in line perpendicular to the road-their infantry in ditches, and their artillery commanding all the direct approaches; their rear protected by a dense forest. I ordered the Fifty-first Pennsylvania immediately to file to the right, and pass over to the edge of the woods to turn their left. I also ordered the Twenty-first Massachusetts to pursue the same course; and when Col. Hawkins came up with his brigade, I sent him with the Ninth and Eighty-Ninth New-York to their support. The Sixth New - Hampshire were formed in line to the left of the road, and ordered to support our four pieces of artillery. Owing to the excessive fatigue of the men, they could not reach their position for some time.

In the mean time the enemy kept up a brisk artillery fire, which was gallantly responded to by our small pieces, under charge of Colonel Howard, of the "Coast Guard," who, during the entire engagement, displayed most conspicuous gallantry, and rendered very efficient service, both during the action and upon the return, he bringing up the rear. As soon as the Fifty-first Pennsylvania and Twenty-first Massachusetts had succeeded in turning their left, they opened a brisk musketry fire, and about the same time the Ninth New-York, also coming in range, and being too eager to engage, unfortunately charged upon the enemy's artillery. It was a most gallant charge, but they were exposed to a most deadly fire of grape and musketry, and were forced to retire, but rallied immediately upon the Eighty-ninth New-York coming up. I then ordered both regiments to form a junction with the Twenty-first Massachusetts.

In the mean time the Fifty-first Pennsylvania and Twenty-first Massachusetts kept up an incessant fire upon the rebels, who now had withdrawn their artillery and had commenced to retreat in good order. The Sixth New-Hampshire had steadily advanced in line to the left of the road, and when within about two hundred yards poured in a most deadly volley, which completely demoralized the enemy and ended the battle. Our men were so completely fagged out by the intense heat and their long march that we could not pursue them. The men rested under arms in line of battle until about ten o'clock P.M., when I ordered a return to our boats, having accomplished the principal object of the expedition, conveying the idea that the entire "Burnside Expedition" was marching upon Norfolk. Owing to want of transportation, I was compelled to leave some sixteen of our most severely wounded men. Assist. Surg. Warren was left with them. I sent a flag of truce the next day to ask that they might be returned to us, Commander Rowan kindly volunteering to attend to it.

We took only a few prisoners, some ten or fifteen, most of whom belonged to the Third Georgia regiment.

The Ninth New-York suffered most severely, owing to their premature charge-our total loss in killed and wounded being about ninety, some sixty belonging to that regiment.

The officers and men of the several regiments all behaved with their usual gallantry, and many are worthy of particular mention, and I presume the brigade and regimental commanders will do justice to their respective commands. I will forward their reports as soon as received.

The return march was made in perfect order, and few if any stragglers were left behind. Considering that during the advance the weather was intensely hot and that on the return a severe rain rendered the roads very muddy, and that a portion of the command had to march forty-five miles, and the others thirty-five, and fight a battalion the mean time, and that all this was accomplished in less than twenty-four hours, I think that the Commanding General has every reason to be satisfied with his command.

I desire to return my thanks to Commander Rowan and the officers and men under him for their untiring energy in disembarking and reëmbarking my command; and also to Lieut. Flusser for the gallant manner in which he assisted us by proceeding up the river and driving the enemy out of the woods along the banks.

Col. Hawkins, commanding the First brigade, and Lieut.-Col. Bell commanding the Second, both displayed a conspicuous courage, as did also the regimental commanders. Lieut.-Col Clark commanded the Twenty-first Massachusetts, Major Schall the Fifty-first Pennsylvania, Lieut.-Col. Kimball the Ninth New-York, and Lieut. Col. Griffen the Sixth New-Hampshire. Capt. Fearing, the aid-de-camp of Gen. Burnside, accompanied me as a volunteer aid, and rendered efficient and gallant service; also Capt. Ritchie, A.C.S., and Lieutenants Gordon and Breed, of the Signal Corps. My own aids, Lieuts. Reno and Morris, behaved with their usual gallantry.

As soon as the brigade and regimental reports are furnished I will forward them, together with a complete list of killed and wounded.

The enemy's loss was considerable, but they succeeded in carrying off most of their wounded. Several, however, were left on the field, one of which was a captain of the Third Georgia regiment. The color-bearer of the Third Georgia regiment was shot down by the Twenty-first Massachusetts while waving defiantly his traitor ous flag. The enemy had from six to ten pieces of artillery and from eighteen hundred to two thousand men. We approached to within thirty miles of Norfolk, and undoubtedly the defeat of one of their best regiments, the Third Georgia, produced considerable panic at Norfolk. I have the honor to be, respectfully,

J. L. RENO, Commanding Brigadier-General Second Division. REPORT OF LIEUT.-COL. KIMBALL. HEADQUARTERS, NINTH REGIMENT N. Y. V.,

ROANOKE ISLAND, N. C., April 21, 1862. f COLONEL I have the honor to report that in pursuance of your order of the eighteenth inst

ACCOUNT BY ONE OF THE WOUNDED.

UNITED STATES GENERAL HOSPITAL,
FORTRESS MONROE, VA., April 26, 1862.

DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER: I suppose you both will be greatly surprised to hear that I am back again to the hospital at the Fortress, but not with sickness this time, but in consequence of a wound which I received last Saturday after noon in the fight at South-Mills.

You know I said in my last letter that we expected to have another fight soon. Well, last Friday, the eighteenth, we embarked on board the steamer Ocean Wave-the other regiments going on other boats. About half-past one o'clock at night we landed at a place called Green Bank. We had to wade from the steamer about one quarter of a mile through the water. We commenced our march at half-past two, and kept on till they attacked us about four o'clock in the afternoon. We had marched nearly thirty-eight miles.

We were ordered by Gen. Reno, that is, our regiment, the Ninth New-York, and the Eightyninth New-York, to flank the battery on the right. I think there was not a musket fired on either side, it was all cannonading. I tell you what it is, our two small pieces did good service.

Well, we got on the right of them and lay down in the woods to rest and waited for further orders. We lay down because we were so awful tired, and fell asleep in no time. At last Col. Hawkins came and told us we could finish the work if we could march about three quarters of a mile further and then charge on them the rest of the mile and drive them all away.

He said he knew that we were tired and worn out, and if we did not feel able to do so we must say so. But, you know, all our boys love their dear Colonel, and would follow him anywhere. We all sprang to our feet and shouted: "Charge the battery!"

In front of the battery was a large open cornfield. In this we started our charge. Our company, (B,) you know, is on the right of the line. As soon as they saw our red caps coming, they opened fire with musketry. We were about half way across the field when our corporal fell. We were going in when the corporal fell. I turned to look at him, when I was shot; the ball, a Minie, struck me between the knee and thigh. I tried to get up, but found it easier said than done the bone was shattered to pieces. After the

fight cleared away a little, we were carried on stretchers to a house which was used as our hospital.

I must stop, as the doctor has come to dress my wound.

He has finished. I had cold water applications only to my leg, until Tuesday, when the surgeon left in charge of the wounded cut it off. I did not know it was off until about an hour afterward.

So now I am minus a leg! But never mind, dear parents. I suffer but little pain, and will be home in a few weeks, I think.

The head-surgeon of the hospital and all treat me so kindly; when they heard I was here they all came to see me.

Surgeon Bontogue is the head man here. He tells me I can get up in a few days and walk with crutches.

My dinner is by my side, and I will close my letter, wishing you both not to mourn about me, for I am all right. Write soon to your affectionWILLIAM V. H. CORTELYOU,

ate son,

Company B, Ninth Regiment, N. Y. V.

A NATIONAL ACCOUNT.

NEWBERN, N. C., April 25, 1862. A short time since I was given to understand that a reconnoissance in force would be made in the vicinity of Norfolk, by a portion of the Burnside Expedition.

Learning that the enemy had a brigade of their best men stationed at Elizabeth City, it was evident to me that an engagement with the enemy would take place between Elizabeth City and Norfolk.

When last at Elizabeth City, I learned that the rebel force was composed of the Georgia Third volunteers, a regiment of North-Carolina volunteers, a regiment of Louisiana Wild Cats, a regiment of Virginia cavalry, two batteries from Louisiana, of two hundred and fifty men each, a few companies of militia, amounting to a little over five thousand men altogether.

All of this force had been called to Yorktown and Norfolk, and part, I learn, left for those places on the eighteenth inst. The remainder were to leave on the twenty-first inst., which was the day that the Georgia Third expected to be mustered out of service, as their time for which they enlisted expired on that day; but to their astonishment, they were informed that the rebel Congress had decided that no more regiments were to be mustered out of service until the war was over. As you may imagine, this sweeping impressment was not relished in the least by this regiment, which is one of the best Georgia has in the field.

Gen. Reno, who was designated to take command of this expedition, left Newbern on the morning of the seventeenth inst., with two regiments of his brigade, the Twenty-first Massachusetts, Lieut.-Col. Clark, and Fifty-first Pennsylvania, Col. Hartranft, which embarked on the army transports Northerner, Admiral, Pilot Boy, and Ocean Wave, for Roanoke Island, in convoy of the flag-ship Philadelphia, Com. Rowan, and the

war-steamers Delaware, Lieut. Commanding S. P. Quackenbush, and the Picket, Capt. Ives, arriving at Roanoke Island on the evening of the seventeenth, a distance of one hundred and twenty miles, where they anchored until morning. Early on the morning of the eighteenth, Com. Rowan and staff, together with Gen. Reno and staff, went on shore and paid a visit to Col. Hawkins, Acting Brigadier-General, in command of the forces on Roanoke Island, who was to join the expedition with three regiments of his brigade, the Ninth and Eighty-ninth New-York and Sixth New-Hampshire. After a brief consultation, it was decided to embark Col. Hawkins's three regiments as soon as possible, and get under way, so as to reach the mouth of the Pasquotank River, on which Elizabeth City is situated, before dark. The fleet was then to move up the river and land the troops some three miles this side of Elizabeth City, at midnight, when part of the force was to push on rapidly, by a circuitous route, and take possession of the canal bridge, some twenty miles this side of Norfolk, for the purpose of cutting off the retreat of the rebel force left at Elizabeth City-some one thousand eight hundred strong.

Col. Hawkins with his three regiments was detailed to perform this work, leaving Gen. Reno with two regiments to bring up the rear, in order that we might get the enemy between our forces, when Gen. Reno anticipated no difficulty in making prisoners of them all.

Col. Howard, of the Marine Artillery, and commander of the war-steamer Virginia, was also included in the expedition, with a battery of light field-pieces.

Col. Hawkins's force embarked on the Phoenix, Capt. Ashcroft, Massasoit, Capt. Clark, Philadelphia, and Ocean Wave.

All was in readiness by ten o'clock A.M., when the fleet left the island and proceeded slowly to the point where the troops were to be landed, which job was to be completed between twelve and one o'clock, before the moon rose, and as quietly as possible.

When we arrived at our destination it was about ten o'clock in the evening, and quite as dark as necessary for all practical purposes. Preparations were at once made to land the force as expeditiously as possible. The blockading squadron at Elizabeth City were in readiness to render all assistance in their power to Gen. Reno. They tendered all their launches and small boats, and the services of their officers and crews to assist in the landing of the troops, which consumed much more time than was at first anticipated.

Col. Hawkins's three regiments were all landed, however, and on the march, by two o'clock, leaving General Reno to land his two regiments, the ariny wagons, four in number, together with the horses belonging to the same, and the field-pieces, a tedious job, which was not completed until daylight.

It was a beautiful and imposing sight to witness the landing of these troops by moonlight, with

horses, wagons, field-pieces, etc. Some on rafts and some in small boats. Some of them wading even cheerfully through the water in their anxiety to reach the shore first.

Had it not been for the valuable assistance rendered by the gunboats in landing, Gen. Reno would have been delayed many hours longer. He expressed himself as under many obligations to the officers and men of the entire navy fleet at Elizabeth City, many of whom plunged into the water, and worked like heroes until everything was landed, and the force on the march. Among those boats most efficient in this good work were the Perry, Delaware, Lockwood, Picket, Southfield, Stars and Stripes, Underwriter, Putnam, Ceres, Shawsheen, and Whitehead.

By five o'clock on the morning of the nineteenth, Reno's column was in motion. So quietly had the landing of the troops been effected that no alarm whatever was given by the enemy's pickets, four of whom were found asleep not more than fifty rods from our place of debarkation. It is also evident that the rebel troops at Elizabeth City, three miles from the landing, knew nothing of our approach or operations during the night, for they were in their camp, near the city, when our gunboats went and shelled them out at daylight.

When our gunboats moved up to the city, and let fly their shells into the camp of the sleeping rebels, they were greatly surprised at such an unceremonious call so early in the morning, and in great confusion they started for Norfolk, with Gen. Reno at their heels in close pursuit.

Before proceeding further, I must not forget to mention that much credit is due to C. H. Flusser, of the Commodore Perry, commanding the squadron at Elizabeth City, for planning this affair. No naval officer on this coast has given the rebels more hard knocks and greater frights than this brave and efficient officer, who is a terror to the whole Southern conspiracy. Soon after daylight, Gen. Reno was in close pursuit of the enemy, with the Twenty-first Massachusetts, Fifty-first Pennsylvania, and Col. Harrard's battery.

It was a lovely morning; the birds were sing ing and skipping from one green bough to another, as if attracted by our beautiful colors. The roads were in good condition, which enabled our troops to get rapidly over the ground. The people along the route knew nothing of our coming until we were passing their doors, when of course it was too late for them to get up a fright.

The Union sentiment was openly manifested by the inhabitants all along the route. At one house the inmates were so overjoyed at our coming as to make demonstrations of delight, by waving the Stars and Stripes, which brought forth deafening cheers from our troops, many of whom shed tears of joy on seeing the strong attachment to the old flag by these oppressed people. Other Union citizens informed us that the Stars and Stripes had been taken from them by the rebels, otherwise they would have given us a like reception.

Many of the Union-loving inhabitants offered