HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE JAMES,
March 8, 1865. (Received 5.10 p.m.)

General J. A. RAWLINS,

Chief of Staff:

Twenty-two deserters from the enemy since my last report.

JNO. W. TURNER,

Brigadier-General.

MARCH 8, 1865.

General J. W. TURNER,

Chief of Staff:

I have pretty authentic information that Sheridan had a fight and was successful. Early was not captured, but his men were. Early was in Richmond yesterday.

G. WEITZEL,

Major-General.

FORTRESS MONROE, VA., March 8, 1865-10 p.m.

(Received 11.30 a.m. 9th.)

Lieutenant-Colonel BOWERS,

Assistant Adjutant-General, City Point:

COLONEL: I have just got back from Fredericksburg. The transports are coming in. Had no fighting. Captured and destroyed twenty-eight cars, eighteen loaded. Have some prisoners and refugees and about 400 cases of tobacco, thirty-six mules and wagons. The tobacco belonged to the Confederate Government, and I and informed was to have been exchanged for meat, through the agency of one M. C. Martin, who was said to have authority from our Government to make the exchange. It was consigned to Dr. L. B. Rose, of Fredericksburg. I have brought him with me. The whole matter appears to me to be worthy of investigation. The transaction was to cover 4,000 cases, and we could have caught it all in Fredericksburg if we had been two days later. What shall I do with the tobacco and prisoners?

S. H. ROBERTS,

Colonel, Commanding Expedition to Rappahannock.

FORT MONROE, March 8, 1865-10 p.m

(Received 10.30 a.m. 9th.)

Lieutenant-Colonel BOWERS,

Headquarters Armies of the United States, City Point;

The guide for the lower counties of the Northern Neck having reached me to-day, I propose, if the lieutenant-general permits, to take my command to some point on the Potomac River and march down. There are some 500 cavalry in the country living upon the people and ready to collect conscripts and horses for the Confederates. I think the greater part of the soldiers can be captured and a great many horses and cattle collected, and the command subsisted upon the country. I will wait here until to-morrow morning for reply. It will take about five days to do the work well.

S. H. ROBERTS,

Colonel, &c.