and canal, and captured 40 prisoners. Two hundred and seventy-eight prisoners, 50 wagons and teams, 1,200 cattle, and 500 sheep have been brought off. General Rosser has shown great energy and skill, and his command deserves great credit.

R. E. LEE,

General S. COOPER.

ORANGE COURT-HOUSE, February 6, 1864.

Please correct my dispatch of to-day. General Early reported only 78 prisoners; there was error in the telegraph.

R. E. LEE,

General S. COOPER.

Numbers 9. Report of Major General Jubal A. Early, C. S. Army, commanding Valley District.

NEW MARKET, February 6, 1864.

GENERAL: On January 28, leaving Imboden's and Walker's brigades near Mount Jackson to guard the valley, I moved from this place with Rosser's brigade, Thomas' brigade, all the effective men of Gilmor's and McNeill's Partisan Rangers, and four pieces of McClanahan's battery, toward Moorefield, in Hardy. I arrived at Moorefield with Rosser's brigade and the artillery on the 29th, and early next morning (the 30th) Rosser was sent to intercept a train on its way from Creek to Petersburg and get between the garrison at the latter place and the railroad. After cutting through a heavy blockade on the mountain between the South Branch and Patterson's Creek, which was defended by a regiment, Rosser succeeded in reaching and capturing the train after a short fight with its guard, which consisted of over 800 infantry and a small body of cavalry, all under Colonel Snider. The guard for the train broke and run to the mountains, and only a few prisoners were captured. Rosser's loss in killed and wounded was about 25 and the enemy's much heavier. Ninety-three loaded wagons were captured, but the teams from forty-two of them were run off by the drivers during the fight and being considerably smashed, these wagons were burnt. Fifty wagons with their teams were brought off, one having been overturned in the night and broken to pieces, so as to be useless. The wagons were loaded with commissary stores and forage, but as the wagons crossed the mountain from Patterson's Creek to Moorefield in the night a great deal of the loading was thrown out by the drivers, and much of it was plundered before steps could be taken to secure it. After the train was captured Rosser moved toward Petersburg and got possession of the roads from Petersburg down Patterson's Creek and through Greenland Gap, and the same evening Thomas' brigade arrived at Moorefield and was crossed over the South Branch to within 10 miles of Petersburg.

Early next morning both forces moved upon Petersburg, but on arriving there it was found that the enemy had evacuated during the night, taking a mountain road to the head of New Creek through a pass where it was impracticable it difficult to discern objects at a short distance. The works at Petersburg were found to be very strong, with a ditch around them and very strong abatis. There were