SELMA, November 12, 1864.

General BRAGG:

Following received, dated near Johnsonville, 5th:

My forces under Generals Chalmers and Buford attacked Johnsonville yesterday evening from side of river, destroying the town and burning 3 gun-boats, 11 steamers, and 15 barges, a portion of the latter laden with quartermaster and commissary stores, also burnt most of the stores on the landing and in warehouses. The expedition thus far has resulted in a loss to the enemy of 4 gun-boats, 8 guns each, 14 steam-boats, and 17 barges, and quartermaster's stores estimated at from 75,000 to 120,000 tons. The quantity burned on the wharf and in buildings was immense.   Fire still raging.

N. B. FORREST,

Major-General.

R. TAYLOR,

Lieutenant-General.

HEADQUARTERS FORREST'S CAVALRY CORPS,

Verona, Miss., January 12, 1864.

COLONEL: Continued active service in the field for two months has prevented me from reporting at an earlier day the action of my troops on the expedition along the Tennessee River. I avail myself, however, of the first leisure moment, and have the honor of submitting the following report:

On the 16th of October I ordered Colonel Bell to move with his brigade from Corinth and to form a camp at Lavinia. On the 18th Brigadier-General Buford was ordered to move with the Kentucky brigade to Lexington for the purpose of watching General Hatch, who was reported to be in that direction. I moved from Corinth on the morning of the 19th, with my escort and Rucker's brigade, to Jackson, Tenn. At this place I was joined by Brigadier-General Chalmers with about 250 men of McCulloch's brigade and 300 of Mabry's brigade, which, with Rucker's brigade, constituted his DIVISION. On the 29th I ordered him to proceed to the Tennessee River and there co-operate with Brigadier-General Buford, who was blockading the river at Fort Heiman and Paris Landing. On arriving at the river I found it most, effectually blockaded by a judicious disposition of the troops and batteries sent for this purpose.

On the morning of the 29th, the steamer Mazeppa, with two barges in tow, made here appearance. As she passed the battery at Fort Heiman, supported by Brigadier-General Lyon, she was fired upon by one section of Morton's battery and two 20-pounder Parrott guns. Every shot must have taken effect, as she made for the shore after the THIRD fire and reached the opposite bank in a disabled condition, where she was abandoned by the crew and passengers, who fled to the woods. A hawser was erected on this side of the river and she was towed over, and on being boarded she was found to be heavily loaded with blankets, shoes, clothing, hard bread, &c. While her cargo was being removed to the shore three gun-boats made their appearance, and commenced shelling the men who were engaged in unloading the Mazeppa. They were forced to retire, and fearing the boat might be captured Brigadier-General Buford ordered her to be burned.

On the 30th the steamer Anna came down the river and succeeded in passing both the upper and lower batteries, but was so disabled that she sunk before she reached Paducah. The Anna was followed by two transports (J. W. Cheeseman, the Venus) and two barges under convoy of gun-boat Undine. In attempting to pass my batteries all the boats were disabled. They landed on the opposite side of the river and were abandoned by the crews, who left their dead and wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Kelley, with two companies of his regiment, was thrown across the river and soon returned to Paris Landing with the boats. The steamer J. W. Cheeseman was so disabled that she was ordered, with the two barges, to be burned; the gun- boat was also burned while moving up the river to Johnsonville. The Venus was recaptured by the enemy on [November 2,] but was destroyed the next day [November 4] at Johnsonville by my batteries.

On the 1st of November I ordered my command to move in the direction of Johnsonville, which place I reached on the 3d. At this point Colonel Mabry joined Colonel Chalmers with Thrall's battery. The wharf at Johnsonville was lined with transports and gun-boats. An immense warehouses presented itself and was represented as being stored with the most valuable supplies, while several acres of the shore were covered with every description of army stores. The fort was situated on a high hill and in a commanding position, and defended by strong works.

All my troops having arrived, I commenced disposing of them with a view of bombarding the enemy. As he commanded the position I designed to occupy, I was necessarily compelled to act with great caution. I planted most of my guns during the night, and while completing the work the next morning my men worked behind ambuscades, which obscured everything from the enemy. Thrall's battery of howitzers was placed in position above Johnsonville, while Morton's and Hudson's batteries were placed nearly opposite and just below town.

I ordered a simultaneous assault to commence at 3 o'clock. All my movements for twenty-four hours had been so secretive the enemy seemed to think I had retired, and for the purpose of making a reconnaissance two gun-boats were lashed together and pushed out just before the attack opened. The bombardment commenced by the section of Morton's battery commanded by Lieutenant Brown. The other batteries joined promptly in the assault. The enemy returned the fire from twenty-eight guns on their gun-boats and fourteen guns on the hill. About FIFTY guns were thus engaged at the same time, and the firing was terrific. The gun-boats, in fifteen minutes after the engagement commenced, were set on fire, and made rapidly for the shore, where they were both consumed. My batteries next opened upon the transports, and in a short time they were in flames. The immense amount of stores were also set in fire, together with the huge warehouse above the landing. By night the wharf for nearly one mile up and down the river presented one solid sheet of flame. The enemy continued a furious cannonading on my batteries.

Having completed the work designed by the expedition, I moved my command six miles during the night by the light of the enemy's a burning property. The roads were almost impassable, and the march to Corinth was slow and toilsome, but I reached there on November 10, after an absence of over two weeks, during which time I captured and destroyed 4 gun-boats, 14 transports, 20 barges, 26 pieces of artillery, $6,700,000 worth of property, and 150 prisoners. Brigadier-General Buford, after supplying his own command, turned over to my chief quartermaster about 9,000 pairs of shoes and 1,000 blankets.

My loss during the entire trip was 2 killed and 9 wounded; that of the enemy will probably reach 500 killed, wounded, and prisoners.

On this expedition my DIVISION commanders, Brigadier-Generals Chalmers and Buford, displayed the same prompt observance in obeying orders, the same kill, coolness, and undaunted courage which they have heretofore exhibited, and for which I thank them.

My brigade commanders, Colonels Bell, Rucker, Crossland, and Mabry, are deserving of the highest commendation for their conduct on this as on all former occasions.

Brigadier-General Lyon, who had been assigned to another department, reported to me on this expedition and rendered much valuable service at Johnsonville and Fort Heiman.

To Captain John W. Morton, acting chief of artillery, and the brave troops under his command, my thanks are especially due for their efficiency and gallantry on this expedition. They fired with a rapidity and accuracy which extorted the commendation of even the enemy. The rammers were shot from the hands of the cannoneers, some of whom were nearly buried amid the dirt which was thrown upon them by the storm of shell which rained upon them by the enemy's batteries.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

N. B. FORREST,

Major-General.

Colonel E. SURGET,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Meridian, Miss.

Numbers 10. Report of Brigadier General James R. Chalmers, C. S. Army, commanding cavalry DIVISION.

HDQRS. CHALMERS' DIVISION, FORREST'S CAVALRY,

Perryville, Tenn., November 8, 1864.

MAJOR: In obedience to orders from Major-General Forrest, commanding, &c., I moved on the morning of the 30th of October from Paris, Tenn., with Rucker's brigade, my escort battalion, and four pieces of rifled artillery (one section of Rice's and one of Hudson's battery), to Paris Landing, on the Tennessee River, where I arrived about 11 a. m. on the same day. I found Colonel Bell at the landing with his brigade, of Buford's DIVISION, and a section of Morton's battery. He reported to me that a short time before my arrival a gun-boat and two transports had passed his position, going down the river, and that in obedience to orders from General Buford he had reserved his fire until they had passed, and had then opened upon them, and he thought had done them some damage. One of the transports succeeded, as I was afterward informed, in passing Fort Heiman, where General Buford was stationed with the Kentucky brigade of his DIVISION, a section of Morton's battery, and the two 20-pounder Parrott guns of Hudson's battery, but was badly crippled in the attempt. The other transport (the Venus) and the gun-boat (the U. S. steamer Undine, Numbers 55) were are a bend of the river about midway between the positions of Colonel Bell and General Buford, and out of the range of the guns of either. After consultation with Colonel Bell, I directed him to move his artillery down the river to a point as nearly as possible opposite to the boats, and to drive them from their position. He rode off to reconnoiter, and on returning reported that the order could not be executed on account of the ground to be passed over. My artillery having arrived was placed in position on the bank of the river above that held by Colonel Bell, with an interval of several hundred yards between the sections.

Colonel Rucker, coming upon the field, suggested that guns should be moved down the river to attack the boats, and on being told that Colonel Bell had reported the ground impracticable for artillery, he proposed that he and I should re-examine it. We accordingly rode down the river, Colonel Bell accompanying us, but before we had found a suitable position a courier reported another transport coming down, and Colonel Bell and I returned to the batteries, leaving Colonel Rucker with orders to continue his reconnaissance. The transport proved to be the J. W. Cheeseman, a stern-wheel steamer. She was allowed to pass the upper battery (Rice's) unmolested, but as soon as she came opposite to the middle battery (Hudson's) the guns of both opened upon her, and her steam pipe was cut and other parts of her machinery disabled. As she was passing Hudson's battery Colonel Bell's battery also opened upon her, and a heavy fire of small-arms being poured into her by troops stationed along the bank of the river, she was soon compelled to surrender. Soon after this Colonel Bell moved his brigade to Fort Heiman, in obedience to orders from General Buford, who I had directed to consolidate his DIVISION at that point.

Colonel Rucker having reported that he had found a practicable route and a good position for attacking the boats below the landing, I directed him to move down to it with the section of Hudson's battery (two 10-pounder Parrott guns), the Fifteenth Regiment, and Twenty-sixth Battalion Tennessee Cavalry, of his brigade, and attack them, which he did with such vigor and success that after a severe artillery duel between his battery and the gun- boat, the latter was disabled and driven to the opposite bank, where all of her officers and crew, who were able to do so, abandoned her and escaped, leaving only the dead and wounded behind.

At the same time Lieutenant-Colonel Kelley, commanding Twenty-sixth Battalion Tennessee Cavalry, attacked the transport Venus, which was defended by a small detachment of U. S. infantry, so sharply that she surrendered to him, and the gallant colonel, going on board of her with two companies of his battalion, crossed the river, took possession of the gun-boat, and brought both safely to the landing.

While this fight was going on another gun-boat (the Numbers 29) appeared above us, and coming to anchor about a mile and a half above our batteries, began to shell them. The upper battery (Rice's) returned a few shots, but finding that the distance was too great for effective firing, I directed it to move up nearer to the boat and ordered a portion of my escort battalion and the cadet company of the Seventh Alabama Cavalry to support the battery and act as sharpshooters. After a brief and spirited engagement the gun-boat weighed anchor and withdrew up the river. The Cheeseman was so badly injured that it was impossible to repair her with the means at our command, and she was afterward burned by order of the major-general commanding, as were also the three barges captured on the same day. The transport Venus and the gun-boat Undine being only slightly injured, were soon put in repair, by his order. These boats being bound down stream, after having delivered their cargoes of freight for the U. S. Government at Johnsonville, contained no stores beyond the usual supplies for their own use and a small quantity of private freight of but little value for army use. The Undine belonged to the class of gun-boats known as "tin-clads," and was one of the largest boats of her class on the river. she carried eight 24-pounder brass howitzers, and when captured had all of her armament and equipment on board of her. An attempt had been made to spike two of the guns and to disable one by placing a shell in its muzzle, but these were soon removed.

I have been more minute than may seem to be necessary in giving all the particulars of the capture of these boats, because I am aware that some dispute has arisen as to what troops are entitled to the honor of their capture. I do not regard this as a matter of much importance, since all that was done was but the execution of the plans of the major-general commanding, and whatever of honor may arise therefrom is due first to him who conceived and then to those who executed them.

All of the troops, so far as I am informed, acquitted themselves well, but I feel it is but to those who took the most prominent part in the execution of those plans that they should receive the greater share of that honor which is the dearest reward of the soldier. I repeat, therefore, that when the Cheeseman was captured there were six guns playing upon her, of which two (of Morton's battery) belonged to Colonel Bell's command, and four (two of Rice's and two of Hudson's battery) belonged to my command. They were placed on the bank of the river, Rice's being the upper, Hudson's the center, and Morton's the lower battery, and the boat was disabled before she had passed the center battery by one of the first shots fired at her.

The gun-boat Undine and the transport Venus were captured after Colonel Bell had withdrawn his brigade, including his artillery, and when there were no troops present excepting those belonging to this DIVISION. The troops immediately engaged in the capture were the Fifteenth Regiment and the Twenty-sixth Battalion Tennessee Cavalry and one section of Hudson's battery. It has been said, however, that these boats were badly crippled by Colonel Bell as they passed his position in the morning and before any part of this DIVISION had arrived, but in reply to this I would respectfully say that the Venus was not materially injured when she was captured, as is shown by the fact that she was used immediately afterward to tow the gun-boat to the landing. The shot which struck her injured her cabin and upper works, but had not damaged either her machinery or her hull. Colonel Bell stated to me that, in obedience to orders, he did not fire at either of the boats until they had passed his position. This exposed their sterns and larboard sides to his fire, but the shot which disabled the Undine struck her in front and on the starboard side, and could not have come from Colonel Bell's battery. In addition to this, the boat was manageable, and maintained a sharp fight for some time after Colonel Bell had withdrawn his brigade. In view of these circumstances I think it evident that the greater share of the honor of capturing these boats belongs to those troops to whom they were actually surrendered.

Our loss in this affair was 1 man of Rucker's brigade severely wounded; that of the enemy, so far as we have been able to ascertain it, was 5 killed and 6 wounded on the Venus; 3 killed and 4 wounded on the Undine, and 1 wounded on the Cheeseman; total, 8 killed and 11 wounded. We also captured 43 prisoners, among whom was 1 officer and 10 men of the U. S. Infantry. The others belonged to the different boats.

On the morning of November 1 moved my command up the river as far as Danville, where we encamped, placing our guns in position on the river-bank so as to protect our boats (the Undine and Venus), which had been ordered to move up the river, keeping in rear of our batteries.

On the following morning I moved toward Reynoldsburg, in accordance with previous instructions, but was afterward orders, by the major- general commanding, to halt near Davidson's Ferry, and to place my guns in position at that place, which was done. Our boats having ventured too far beyond the protection of our batteries, were attacked by two of the enemy's gun-boats, and the Venus was recaptured by them.

On the 3rd instant we moved up the river opposite to Reynoldsburg and Johnsonville, and had frequent skirmishes during the day with the enemy's gun-boats, of which there were three at the latter place, but without any decisive results. Here we were joined by Colonel Mabry's brigade of cavalry and Thrall's battery of 12- pounder howitzers, attached to this DIVISION, which had been left at Paris, and had moved directly from that place and take position a short distance above Johnsonville.

On the 4th instant, General Buford having come up with his DIVISION and Morton's battery, the latter was ordered to the position occupied by Colonel Rucker, and my DIVISION was formed as follows: Colonel Mabry, with his brigade and Thrall's battery, on the right immediately above and opposite to Johnsonville; Colonel Rucker, with Morton's battery and the Seventh Alabama Cavalry, immediately below and opposite to that place; Lieutenant-Colonel Kelley, with the Twenty-sixth Tennessee Battalion and two guns of Rice's battery, opposite to Reynoldsburg, and Lieutenant-Colonel Logwood, of the Fifteenth Tennessee Cavalry, with his regiment and a section of Hudson's battery, at Clark's house, still farther down the river and about two miles below Johnsonville.

The enemy had at Johnsonville three gun-boats and a number of transports and barges - variously estimated at from eight to ten of the former and from twelve to fifteen of the latter, some of them laden - together with an immense quantity of Government stores, a part of which was contained in a large warehouse, and the remainder piled upon the bank, covering about an acre of ground. The town was defended by a strong earth-work, well garrisoned and supplied with artillery, and they possessed an additional advantage in the fact that the bank of the river on that side is much higher than that on which we were.

At 2 p. m. the bombardment began, and in a short time one of the gun-boats was set on fire. One after another the others followed, and before night-fall all of the gun-boats, transports, and barges, the warehouse, and the greater part of the stores on the shore, were set on fire and consumed. The enemy kept up a heavy fire from their gun-boats and land batteries until the former were disabled, but without inflicting any serious injury upon us or forcing any part of our troops to abandon their positions. During the engagement five gun-boats came up the river, evidently with the intention of re-enforcing the town, but they retired after a sharp cannonading with the artillery under Colonel Logwood's command.

Our loss in this engagement was very small, but as the official reports have not been received it cannot now be stated with accuracy.

All the officers and men under my command deserve honorable mention for the very creditable manner in which they have borne themselves during the entire expedition, and I do not desire to detract in the slightest degree from the honor due to the others in calling especial attention to the gallant conduct of the Seventh Alabama Cavalry in this their first engagement, and to the very effective service rendered by Thrall's battery in setting fire to the enemy's boats and stores.

My thanks are due to the officers of my staff and to Captain Lawler, Seventh Tennessee Cavalry, and Lieutenant D. F. Holland, aide-de-camp to Major General D. H. Maury, who were temporarily on staff duty with me, for their efficient services.

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

JAS. R. CHALMERS,

Brigadier-General.

Major J. P. STRANGE,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Forrest's Cavalry.

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