AUGUST 5-12, 1863.--Expedition from Kempsville, Va., into Currituck and Camden Counties, N.C.
Reports of Capt. W. Dewees Roberts, Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry.

CURRITUCK COUNTY, N. C.,
August 6, 1863.
SIR: In accordance with orders received from you, I left Kempsville yesterday morning and proceeded to Great Bridge. Left one company, Lieut. J. S. Nimmon commanding, at that place. With the remaining three companies I moved on, and last night encamped near Northwest Bridge. To-day I reached this point, 6 miles from Currituck Court-House, 5 from Indiantown, and 10 from Camden Court-House.
I have been unable, so far, to find any guerrillas, and hear from sources that seem to be reliable, there are but few, either in Norfolk or Currituck Counties. In Camden County there is one company, in all about 50 men.
To-morrow I will move forward to Camden Court-House, where I will be able to co-operate with our troops reported to be at Elizabeth City.
I most respectfully request that fuller instructions be sent me as to my special duties--whether I am at liberty to destroy all the boats on the Pasquotank above Elizabeth City. With no means of crossing this river, nothing can be seen across the lines below the bridge at South Mills, which point I will have properly guarded.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. DEWEES ROBERTS,
Captain, 11th Pa. Vol. Cav., Comdg. Detachment.
Capt. GEORGE H. JOHNSTON,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
[P.S. ]--Any dispatch sent to me, after to-day, will reach me much sooner by the bearer taking the Dismal Swamp Canal road to South Mills, at which point at least a portion of my force will be.

AUGUST 11-19, 1863.--Expedition from Portsmouth, Va., to Edenton, N.C., and Skirmishes.
No. 2. --Report of Maj. Franklin A. Stratton, Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry.

NEAR PORTSMOUTH, VA.,
August 20, 1863.
COLONEL: Pursuant to orders, in command of companies G, I, and K, comprising 120 men of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, I proceeded, on the evening of the 11th instant, by the Suffolk road, to the Town Point Fork, where I joined the rest of the expeditionary forces under your command. From this point my command marched in the rear of the column during the following three days, and until we entered Edenton nothing of note occurring. Being ordered to halt at the edge of the town, I remained there a few hours and was then directed to move back about a mile and bivouac.
The same night I sent out a company under Captain Reisinger to search for guerrillas in the vicinity of Dr. Warren's plantation. He returned the next morning, having found the place of rendezvous of about 40 guerrillas, who had, however, fled a few hours previous. He searched the country in the vicinity, but was unable to find them.
Upon the return of this party I sent out another company, under Captain Ackerly, who continued the search for 5 or 6 miles, but succeeded in capturing none of the enemy. These two parties destroyed at the guerrillas' camp a considerable quantity of provisions, clothing, arms, camp equipage, and other property belonging to the guerrillas.
On the 16th, the march being resumed, my battalion had the advance. About 4 miles out on the Hertford road a small party of guerrillas was discovered, and immediately charged by the advance guard, but they succeeded in escaping in the swamp; 1 of them, however, was soon after captured by a flanking party from the battalion.
Upon arriving in sight of Hertford, I moved into and through the town at a gallop, detaching small squads, previously detailed and instructed to occupy the cross-streets, with guards at the front and rear of the houses and at the street corners. A short examination, however, and a consultation with some Union citizens, satisfied me that the guerrillas living in town were not present, and the remaining citizens were accordingly released. During this time a scouting party, under Lieutenant Minnich, captured, near the town, Colonel Woodford, of the North Carolina State Militia.
Crossing the river the same evening, I halted for the night 2 miles beyond. Soon after light the next morning the officer in charge of the pickets reported that a patrolling party had encountered a considerable force of guerrillas about 2 miles out on the Woodville road, but subsequent examination failed to discover them, they having dispersed through the swamps as usual.
The main body of the command having crossed the river, the march was resumed at 8 o'clock a.m. My battalion in the rear, I arrived in Elizabeth City at 11 o'clock p.m., nothing worthy of note having occurred.
The next day, my battalion moved in the rear of the command to South Mills. About half way to the latter place, a party of about 10 guerrillas fired upon my rear guard, at long range from the edge of a swamp, wounding 1 horse, and then dispersed in the swamp. Nothing else of interest occurred on this day's march.
On the 19th, leaving one company at South Mills, by order, to report to Captain Roberts, commanding there, I marched at 6 o'clock a.m. for this camp, where I arrived at 5 o'clock p.m.
I have made this report in detail, although the whole expedition, so far as my own command is concerned, has been devoid of events of much interest or importance.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
FRANKLIN A. STRATTON,
Major, Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry. Col. B. F. Onderdonk.

SEPTEMBER 14-17, 1863.--Reconnaissance to the Blackwater River, Va.
Report of Lieut. Col. George Stetzel, Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry.

CAMP GETTY, VA.,
September 17, 1863.
CAPTAIN: In obedience to verbal instructions received from the commanding general of the United States forces at Portsmouth, Va., September 14, 1863, to proceed on a reconnaissance to Blackwater River, I have the honor to make the following report:
I left camp with seven companies of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, at 7 o'clock p.m., September 14. Proceeded to Barham's Mill, 3 miles this side of Suffolk, where I bivouacked for the night. I then proceeded to Blackwater River, in three different directions, in the following order, viz:
Two companies under command of Maj. George T. Cornog to proceed to South Quay. Two companies under the command of Capt. R. B. Ward, to proceed to Blackwater bridge and Zuni, and with the remaining three companies and the howitzers I proceeded to Franklin, meeting with no opposition whatever until I arrived within sight of the enemy's breast-works, about 1 mile this side of Franklin. I took my two howitzers, with 15 men in advance, thus covering the howitzers entirely from the enemy's view.
On arriving within about 350 yards of their works, I discovered 4 rebels on top of the breast-works. Placing my howitzers in position, and opening fire right and left, with my advance of 15 men, I fired a few shells among them, which burst in magnificent style right in their works, which caused them suddenly to disappear. They fired one volley of six or eight muskets, doing no injury to my command. Finding they did not reply with artillery, I concluded they had none, and having no instructions to take the place, I retired slowly to Carrsville, where I bivouacked for several hours. I did not deem the breast-work of sufficient importance to risk the loss of a man or horse in charging upon and capturing it, which I think I could have done. I do not think there were more than 10 or 15 men inside the works.
There is a rumor among the citizens of Carrsville and vicinity, and along the line of the Blackwater, and it is freely believed among them, that Generals Rosecrans and Burnside are forming a junction to attack Charleston in the rear, and that a portion of Lee's army, said to be Longstreet's corps, have been going through Petersburg on their way to Tennessee to oppose this rear movement. This rumor is corroborated by a deserter, W. G. Wynn, Fortieth [Battalion] Virginia Cavalry, who came to me 2 miles beyond Suffolk and gave himself up. He told me he left Richmond on the 12th of September, and all that he could hear relative to the movements of the rebel troops was that they were going to Tennessee to fight Rosecrans and Burnside.
A citizen living in Carrsville, who I have every reason to believe is a loyal Union man, although he has a son in the rebel army (by conscription), informs me that there are not more than between 500 and 600 men along the entire line of the Blackwater. Nearly all the cavalry have been ordered, he thinks, to Tennessee. Captain Barham's company, to which his son belongs, has been sent away, and he thinks the rest will soon follow. This gentleman says that the rebels never contemplated an attack on Suffolk, Portsmouth, or Norfolk since the evacuation of Suffolk.
Major Cornog went to South Quay, saw or heard nothing of the enemy. Captain Ward went to Zuni and Blackwater Bridge and Joiners Crossing. At the latter place he saw 4 rebel infantry on the opposite bank of the river; neither party fired. The information obtained by Major Cornog and Captain Ward relative to the movements of the enemy fully corroborates the statement made to me.
I am of the opinion that the statements are correct, and that the rebel forces on the Blackwater are not any stronger than represented by the above-mentioned loyal citizen.
Having accomplished all that I could, I returned to camp this afternoon.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
GEO. STETZEL,
Lieutenant-Colonel Eleventh Pa. Cavalry, Comdg. Regt.
Capt. H. STEVENS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.