MONTGOMERY, ALA., January 25, 1865.

Colonel L. VON ZINKEN,

Columbus, Ga.:

Gibson's brigade ordered to Mobile.

GEO. WM. BRENT,

Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

MONTGOMERY, ALA., January 25, 1865.

Colonel E. SURGET,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Meridian, Miss.:

Dispatch received and view approved. The object is to facilitate the dispatch of troops. Send them by quickest and best route.

GEO. WM. BRENT,

Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF THE GULF, Mobile, Ala., January 26, 1865.

[General S. COOPER:]

GENERAL: In accordance with instructions from the Navy Department, communicated to me by Commodore Farrand, that officer transferred to my command the torpedo-boat Saint Patrick, built on a contract with the Government by a man named Halligan. This boat was to have been ready for action in July last, and I hoped to use it against the enemy's fleet off Fort Morgan. I therefore caused every possible assistance to be given to Halligan in building her, and urged her early completion. It was not, however, tail the month of

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Halligan arrived here with the boat, and from his whole course I became convinced he had no real intention of attacking the enemy, and that the only practical purpose the Saint Patrick was serving was to keep Halligan and her crew of six able-bodied men from doing military duty. I therefore had him supplied with every means to move against the enemy, and notified him that if he did not attack at once I would place an officer in charge of her who would. In the course of a few days I found it necessary to supersede Halligan, who then placed his affairs in the hands of a lawyer and procured from Richmond a transfer of his boat to the naval commander on this station. Impressed with the importance of using so formidable a vessel as this is said to be, I have continually and repeatedly urged Commodore Farrand to make Halligan attack or to place the boat in charge of one of the many clever young officers of the navy or army who have been pressing for the command of her. This, however, he did not do until, in consequence, I presume, of my official reports to higher authority he was ordered to transfer the Saint Patrick to me. I immediately asked him to let me have Lieutenant Walker, of the navy, to command her. And on placing that officer in charge of the vessel, now lying under the guns of the eastern shore, he found that Halligan had been absent from her for two weeks, and had taken off with him several essential parts of her machinery. After some search Halligan was found comfortably established in the Battle House, and Mr. Walker, by energetic and good management, has recovered from him the necessary machinery and thinks he can