FEBRUARY 15, 1864.

Brigadier-General WISTAR,

Yorktown:

Richmond papers of 12th, received, say 109 prisoners escaped, and that 25 were captured, none less than 20 miles from Richmond. All of them must have crossed the Chickahominy. Have you anything further in regard to them? Many of them must still be secreted in the woods.

J. W. SHAFFER,

Colonel and Chief of Staff.

YORKTOWN, February 15, 1864.

Colonel J. W. SHAFFER,

Chief of Staff:

Probably none of these prisoners recaptured had crossed the Chickahominy. Robertson's cavalry and Holcombe's Legion cavalry are both the other side of Chickahominy for that purpose, besides the infantry. There is no enemy this side, except Hume's scouts, who keep off the main roads and know every path. My cavalry is out after the prisoners, and has been since the first came in. It must go by detachments, of course, having to come back for forage, of which the country supplies none. If one-fourth the escaped organized and long-prepared plan to prevent it. Fifteen have already come.

I. J. WISTAR,

Brigadier-General.

GARNETT'S MOUNTAIN, February 16, 1864-2. 30 p. m.

Major-General NEWTON, and

CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER,

Army of the Potomac:

A camp south-southwest from this point has moved; do not know its strength. It was partially concealed by the woods behind the ridge. Cavalry still at the ford. No other change. The smoke seen at Thoroughfare on the 14th arose from a fire in the woods.

WIGGINS,

Signal Officer.

OFFICE PRO. MAR., HDQRS. 1ST DIV., DEPT. OF W. VA.,

Harper's Ferry, W. Va., February 16, 1864.

Captain WILLIAM M. BOONE,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that I have examined James Smith, Company C, Gilmor's battalion. He had been in the service only six weeks, and was one of the party who robbed the train on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The expedition was commanded by Gilmor in person. They expedition was commanded by Gilmor in person. They started from Mount Jackson with 27 mounted and 19 dismounted men; the dismounted men were left near White Post, while the mounted men moved on toward the railroad. Shortly after a messenger returned with orders for the dismounted men to proceed up the valley as quickly as possible. Smith states he was dismounted and did not go to the railroad. He reports