PETERSBURG, VA., February 15, 1864.

Major General ARNOLD ELZEY,

Commanding Department, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: My scouts from near Norfolk report as follows:

There are three generals on the south side. Barnes has command in the two cities (Norfolk and Portsmouth); Wild of all the negro troops, which number about 3,500 or 4,000. One regiment of negro infantry left Porstmouth on Thursday in transports; destination unknown. Heckman has a full brigade of white troops- two Connecticut regiments, Fifth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Twentieth New York Cavalry, and four batteries of four guns each of light artillery. At Bernard's Mills there are some 150 men of the Fifth Pennsylvania and Twentieth New York Cavalry, under the command of a Major Preston. No white soldiers are on duty in the cities; the negroes are having full sway. They are evidently expecting our boats down. All the Northern laborers in the navy-yard have gone home; a number of sutlers also. They are perfectly unprepared for our boats, and I hardly think they would make much resistance. There are scarcely any vessels in the Roads. They expect an advance from us by North Carolina and Suffolk. Their whole force is little over 8,000, and the majority of them are negroes. At their first line of intrenchments (Manlove's Hill, near Portsmouth) they have a very good battery of heavy artillery. The light artillery is near Gettysville, General Heckman's headquarters. The small-pox is very bad in the cities. The pest-house for both cities is in or near Norfolk. All cass have to be carried over in the ferry from Portsmouth to Norfolk. They are now enrolling all the citizens in the Beast's department, preparatory to drafting. I was within a mile of them yesterday, when they were enrolling some citizens near Bennett's pasture. All is quiet on the Nansemond, Chuckatuck, and Pagan Creek. The gun-boats are a little shy of us. I ran the Flora Temple off with 4 men.

J. C. NOSWORTHY,

Sergeant, Independent Signal Corps.

The above report can be credited, as Sergeant Nosworthy is a young man of unblemished integrity, possessing every merit of a soldier. My opinion is that the whole force in Butler's department is not much over 20,000, all told, if that.

Your obedient servant,

JAS. F. MILLIGAN,

Major, Signal Officer.

HANOVER JUNCTION, February 15, 1864.

Major-General ELZEY:

Battle's men will suffer terribly in this weather; if possible, please send them up to their cabins here.

R. E. RODES,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF HENRICO,
Richmond, February 15, 1864.

Major-General ELZEY, Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: I am instructed by the Adjutant and Inspector General to say that Colonel O'Neal's regiment will furnish the guard necessary to convey the prisoners to Camp Sumter, Ga. * They will be forwarded in squads of about 400, and one company will be required for each detachment. When the railroad company can be heard from I will notify you of the time at which the first can be started.

Very respectfully,

JNO. H. WINDER,

Brigadier-General.

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*Swanson's (Alabama) regiment assigned to Battle's brigade, in place of O'Neal's, by Special Orders, Numbers 36, Adjutant and Inspector General's Office, February 12, 1864.

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