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,, February 15, 1864.

General,—I enclose with this a copy of a letter received this morning from Major Nounnan, of the Sixteenth regiment Virginia cavalry, together with a parole signed by twenty-three enlisted men of the United States army.

Lieutenant Vertigan, of the same regiment, of whom the major speaks in complimentary terms, will start to-morrow for Richmond with Brigadier-General Scammon and the two officers of his staff, Lieutenants Pinckard and Millward.

Major Nounnan and his small party, especially Lieutenant Vertigan, have performed their duty in the most creditable manner.

I sent Colonel Ferguson with his regiment, the Sixteenth Virginia cavalry, to the lower Kanawha, late in December last. He has so far conducted the expedition with judgment and discretion, and has captured much of the enemy's property, and a number of prisoners, and diverted the attention of the enemy in that quarter of this part of the country to the protection of their own border.

Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, , Major-General. Gen. S. Cooper, Adjutant- and Inspector-General C. S. A., Richmond, Va.

, February 7, 1864.

General,—I left Colonel Ferguson in Wayne county on the 25th ultimo, with indefinite orders and discretionary powers, and moved in the direction of the Kanawha river, along which stream I manœuvred in the counties of Mason and Putnam until the 3d instant.

I entered Winfield, Putnam Court-house, on the morning of the 3d instant, at 3 o'clock, with forty men and found a number of government officials there (whom I failed to secure) and a government steamer, with a strong guard and a piece of artillery, lying upon the opposite side of the river. With great difficulty I secured a small craft, capable only of carrying four men, with which I crossed a small party of twelve men under Lieutenant E. G. Vertigan, who obeyed my