Major General J. G. Foster commenced a movement of his army from New Berne this morning. At 3 p. m. we came upon the enemy's pickets (near our present camping ground), when three prisoners were taken by the advance guard of the Third New York Cavalry. In attempting to press forward we found the road densely blockaded by felled trees; this blockade extended for several hundred yards, being situated in the midst of a swamp possessing an abundance of creeks. Owing to this obstruction it became absolutely necessary to halt here for the night. During the same time the woods were cleared and with great rapidity, too, by pioneers from several regiments and a strong force of "pioneer contrabands"-the latter under the direction of the civil engineer of this department, Henry W. Wilson.