SPECIAL ORDERS, ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 41.
Richmond, February 18, 1864.

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XXVI. The First Regiment Engineer Troops, Lieutenant Colonel T. M. R. Talcott commanding, will report to Brigadier General John H. Winder, for assignment to temporary duty as prison guard.

By command of the Secretary of War:

JNO. WITHERS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

ORANGE COURT-HOUSE, February 19, 1864.

General S. COOPER:

Since dispatch of 13th [15th] instant the remainder of Hill's corps, except portions of the Sixteenth and Twenty-second North Carolina Regiments, to the Stonewall Brigade, Young's cavalry brigade of Hampton's division, the Twenty-fifth Virginia Regiment, Carter's Virginia battery, Troup (Georgia) Battery, First Richmond Howitzers, and Third North Carolina Regiment re-enlisted for the war.

R. E. LEE.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA,
Dublin, February 20, 1864.

Honorable JAMES A. SEDDON, Secretary of War:

SIR: I received this morning your telegram of yesterday directing me to permit the pork belonging to Mr. Robert Harvey, agent of the Navy Department, and stopped by my order, to pass. I immediately ordered that the pork be allowed to pass. It is here now, and cannot be forwarded because the railroad cannot give transportation. I do not think you would have sent your telegram of yesterday if you had known the facts. There are many persons in this department-I think the majority of them-who, through patriotism and an earnest desire to contribute all in their power to the Government, sell all of their supplies to the chief purchasing commissary at Government rates. There are a few who exert themselves to the utmost to get the highest possible prices, regardless of the Government. The man from whom Harvey procured this pork is one of the latter class, and he is one of the most unmitigated extortioners in the country. His surplus pork was engaged by the chief purchasing commissary for the army at Government prices. Then an agent of Scott & Co., salt manufacturers, came and offered him a higher price, and he sold it to them. Then this man Harvey came here as purchasing agent for the Navy Department, but showed me no such authority, and he offered a higher price for the pork and bought of this man 2,000 pounds, which had already been engaged for the army by Cloyad. This man (the owner of the pork) sent not only the 2,000 pounds, but, eager to sell all that he could spare at the highest price, sent 1,500 pounds more than Harvey had engaged. When these facts were reported to me I stopped the shipment of the whole.

If your telegram of yesterday is not rescinded the meat will be forwarded and the iniquitous extortioner will profit by the transaction which I have disclosed.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.