Lieutenant Worthington, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.
Sir—In obedience to orders, I left this post in command of sixty men of our regiment (Thirteenth Illinois Cavalry) on Tuesday morning, the 23d instant, on a scout to capture Captain Kidd and any other rebel soldiers or forces I might chance to run on. I divided my force outside the chain guard, and sent one-half, under Lieutenant Orton, on the Warren road, and the other half, under Lieutenant Drummond, on the upper Monticello road, and met together at Harper’s plantation, thirty miles from this post, and camped that night. The next day I scoured the country completely and as thoroughly as possible from Harper’s to Monticello, twenty-three miles, entering Monticello about sunset. Had a slight skirmish there, and after running all the rebel forces out of town I established my camp and sent word to Captain Burks, the rebel commander, that I was going to “remain there until they surrendered or until every corndodger and pound of meat was eaten and every ear of corn was properly disposed of to U.S. cavalry horses.” The next morning before sunrise the rebels began to send in flags of truce, and by 2 p.m. the whole rebel force in that country agreed to surrender upon the same terms Lee surrendered to Grant. I brought all in to-day, including 14 commissioned officers and 70 enlisted men. I seized 3 horses as the property that Captain Kidd obtained from those rebel soldiers belonging to West’s battery who came in and surrendered on Sunday last. I learned then that the brigadier-general commanding had ordered me to cease hostilities toward Captain Kidd, and then, as Monticello was but a few miles out of my way, I determined to go by there. On my return from there I met with Captain Kidd, and he surrendered on the same terms. On my return from Monticello I met with several citizens who had been up to Pine Bluff with cotton and to purchase goods. They solicited an escort from my forces, and believing that a small party of jayhawkers who infested the country around Monticello might be captured, I sent Lieutenant Drummond and fifteen men back with orders to protect them and arrest, if possible, any unauthorized bands they could find. Lieutenant Drummond has not yet returned.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. H. NORRIS,
Captain, Commanding Scout.