mand, say, at 3 a. m.? It is so dark to-night I am afraid the troops might get into confusion. I will have to leave my main picket-line as it is to-night, connecting with General Warren, and establish the new line at daylight. I shall withdraw my artillery and trains at once. WINF'D S. HANCOCK, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General HANCOCK, Commanding Second Corps: The commanding general directs me to say that if you move your command at 3 a. m., as you propose, it will answer every purpose. Your command may move to-morrow. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General HANCOCK, Commanding Second Corps: July 11, 1864--10.15 p. m. Upon looking over my last dispatch it occurs to me that the last paragraph may convey an erroneous impression. I meant that your corps may be moved to-morrow from its position near the Williams house on some one of the proposed operations. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, The command will be held in readiness to move at a moment's notice, it being stated by deserters that Hill's corps is moving against our left. By order of Major-General Hancock: FRANCIS A. WALKER, CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, The following movements are ordered for to-night: The divisions will be withdrawn from the present intrenched line and massed near the Williams house. The breast-works now occupied by the troops must be destroyed by 3 a. m., at which hour the divisions will move as follows: The Second Division will withdraw by the left along the breast works; the First Division will withdraw by the left toward the Williams house, either by the road leading by General Wright's old headquarters or by the intrenchments. The Third Division, Major-General Birney, will withdraw by way of the Jones house and plank road. The artillery will be withdrawn under the direction of the chief of artillery. Staff officers from these headquarters will indicate the positions for the divisions to mass. After the troops are withdrawn the picket-line will be established nearly along the present line of breast-works, under special instructions to corps officers of the day. The wagons now with the command will be parked under the direction of Captain McEntee, assistant quartermaster, on the road from the Williams house to Wells' house, taken by the corps in moving to the present position. By order of Major-General Hancock: FRANCIS A. WALKER, Colonel BRYAN, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Commanding Cavalry Detachment: July 11, 1864–12.20 p. m. Information received from deserters, indicating that Hill's corps. moved last night, the commanding general directs that you send out scouting parties to ascertain whether it moved along the Weldon railroad or southward. These scouting parties should go to Reams' Station, Colonel Wyatts', &c. Colonel BRYAN, A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Commanding Cavalry Detachment: General Sheridan was ordered yesterday to send out some cavalry along the old Norfolk road to look after guerrillas. It may be this cavalry. Are you certain the direction in which you hear the firing is Reams' Station? A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Colonel BRYAN, Commanding Cavalry Detachment: July 11, 1864-6.25 p. m. Have you heard from any of your scouting parties? How long did the firing in the direction of Reams' Station continue? Have you heard anything further about it? A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS PROVISIONAL BRIGADE, July 11, 1864. Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff: The deserters came in my lines with the information, and I sent out scouts at once. Will send two more, as you ordered. T. M. BRYAN, JR., Colonel BRYAN, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Commanding Cavalry Detachment: The commanding general directs that you hold your command ready to move with Gregg's division, which will be up on the left to-night, with three days' rations and two days' forage. It will move by daylight to-morrow. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HDQRS. PROVISIONAL BRIGADE, CAVALRY CORPS, Lieut. Col. C. H. MORGAN, Chief of Staff, Second Corps : COLONEL: I have an intelligent negro acting as scout for me, who gives me the following report: The enemy have infantry pickets in my front from Aiken's house past Doctor Gurley's and extending about half a mile below in the direction of Reams' Station. The cavalry then take up the line, and at Reams' Station are in considerable force-cannot say how many. He heard them talking among themselves, saying they had not men enough to make the line as strong as it should be-" not enough to give them the regular distance." These were their words. At the point where the road from Doctor Gurley's strikes the railroad they have an earth-work on the west side of the railroad; there is infantry in it; does not know if any guns. A train of cars passed about daylight this a. m., going toward Petersburg. Do not know further as to what they contained. This negro, referred to above, lives just between the pickets and has the entrée of the enemy's lines by day, coming to mine at night. He is trying to get his wife and family through, and I have promised him protection if he does. Very respectfully, T. M. BRYAN, JR., HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General WARREN, Commanding Fifth Corps: The major-general commanding directs that you hold yourself ready to occupy the redoubts along the plank road at a moment's warning. General Hancock is ordered to hold himself ready to move at a moment's warning, and will be directed against Hill's corps, should it be ascer tained that that corps is moving against our left flank. Deserters report it to have moved last night. In the event of Hancock moving you will occupy the redoubts. 11 R R-VOL XL, PT III A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS: I send you a deserter from Heth's division, who left their picket line last night. He says they were under orders to march at the time; did not know where. Wilcox's division, he said, went to the north side of the James River last Friday. G. K. WARREN, Major-General of Volunteers. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General WARREN, Commanding Fifth Corps: The commanding general desires to know whether you can occupy the redoubts in the day-that is, withdraw in the day such part of your troops that are now in position and which must be placed in the redoubts. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, July 11, 1864. Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff: The redoubts can be occupied by my troops in the daytime. G. K. WARREN, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General WARREN, Commanding Fifth Army Corps: July 11, 1861-8.50 p. m. The major-general commanding directs that you occupy the redoubts to-night and that you arrange your picket-line, having in view that General Hancock may be ordered to leave at any moment. General Hancock is ordered to concentrate his command to-night in the vicinity of the Williams house, destroy his intrenchments, and establish a picketline in the general direction and position of his present line of intrenchments and connect the right of his picket-line with yours. General Ferrero will be ordered to move at daylight and occupy the line from the last redoubt on the plank road across to the old Norfolk road. General G. K. WARREN: A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS SECOND CORPS, I am ordered to withdraw and mass near the Williams house, and am informed that you are ordered to arrange your picket-line with the [sic] view. I wish you would let me know what dispositions you pro See Humphreys to Hancock, 9.10 p. m., p. 158. pose to make and where the left of your picket-line will be, as I am ordered to connect. It will be nearly daylight before my arrangements are completed for abandoning my line. Your dispatch received. I send you my instructions* to Generals Crawford and Griffin. Crawford's picket-line is to connect with yours. You can confer with him as to where his line will rest. G. K. WARREN, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, Brigadier-Generals CRAWFORD and GRIFFIN: Brigadier-General Griffin will put sufficient force to-night on his left on the plank road so as to be able to hold it with General Crawford's line reduced to a strong picket-line. Brigadier-General Crawford will occupy the large redoubt and the batteries on the plank road near it with a brigade. He will also occupy the redoubt near his own headquarters with a sufficient force, and will leave his picket-line in its present position connecting with that of the Second Corps. These movements are to carry out the accompanying order from headquarters Army of the Potomac. By command of Major-General Warren: FRED. T. LOCKE, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION, FIFTH CORPS, Lieut. Col. F. T. LOCKE, Assistant Adjutant-General, Fifth Corps: COLONEL: Your letter of instructions of 9.30 p. m. is not at all clear. It directs that I occupy the plank road on my left with a sufficient force so as to be able to hold it with General Crawford's force reduced to a strong picket-line, and in the next clause you indicate that General Crawford shall occupy nearly the same ground with the brigade. I would furthermore state, for the information of the major-general commanding, that I have but one brigade in reserve, which is encamped about 600 yards from the plank road. If the order just received contemplates the moving of this brigade I would ask that a staff officer be sent to me to point out the position it is intended to hold. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, CHAS, GRIFFIN, * See Warren to Crawford and Griffin, 9.30 p. m., next, post. + See Humphreys to Warren, 8.50 p. m., p. 162. |