Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, Chief of Staff : CITY POINT, VA., July 19, 1864. The establishment of recruiting rendezvous at Fortress Monroe, besides being expensive, has called for two officers who cannot be spared from the field, and will not add a man to the service. Every negro that comes in is now taken into the service, the best specimens physically being enlisted in companies already organized, and the others are employed as laborers in some of the departments or sent north. I will add also that every expedition going out brings back all the negroes they can find. U. S. GRANT, SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, City Point, Va., July 19, 1864. III. All troops of the Nineteenth Army Corps arriving at this point will report to Maj. Gen. B. F. Butler, commanding Department of Virginia and North Carolina, at Bermuda Hundred, for orders. IV. Subject to the approval of the President, Maj. Gen. W. F. Smith is hereby relieved from the command of the Eighteenth Army Corps and will proceed to New York City and await further orders. His personal staff will accompany him. The corps staff of the Eighteenth Army Corps will report to Brig. Gen. J. H. Martindale, temporarily commanding, for duty. By command of Lieutenant-General Grant: E. S. PARKER, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff: July 19, 1864. GENERAL: A deserter has just been forwarded from the headquar ters of the Fifth Army Corps belonging to the Sixty-fourth Georgia Regiment, Wright's brigade, Anderson's division, A. P. Hill's corps. He left the trenches about 6 o'clock this a. m., at which time his brigade was in the same position they have been lying in for the past week. They are on the left of Hill's corps, and across the Jerusalem plank road. They are to be relieved to-night by Finegan's brigade, which is now in reserve to the rear of Mahone's division. Informant thinks all of Hill's corps is still in our front, and none of it has moved, to his knowledge. Is little acquainted with the Army of Northern Virginia, having been with it but a few weeks. Very respectfully, GEORGE H. SHARPE, No movement of any kind to-day. Since the rain began this a. m. many tents have been put up along the enemy's line and the number of camps now plainly visible from the Weldon railroad to the plank road indicates a strong force along this portion of their line. J. B. DUFF, Lieutenant and Signal Officer. JULY 19, 1864-—6 p. m. Captain FISHER: My station was occupied after the rain. Some new tents of enemy were observed on right of Gregory's house and near front line of works. I. S. LYON, Lieutenant and Signal Officer. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Brigadier-General WILLIAMS: There has been no change in the disposition of my command since my last report. WINF'D S. HANCOCK, Major-General. General HANCOCK: HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, The regiments to be ordered to Washington, under paragraph 9, Special Orders, No. 191, will be directed on arriving at Washington to report to Major-General Halleck, chief of staff, for further instructions. By command of Major-General Meade: S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. (Same to Generals Warren and Burnside.) HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, General S. WILLIAMS: The only change in the disposition of my command since last report is that General Birney's division was detailed for fatigue from 5.30 this morning. WINF'D S. HANCOCK, HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, General S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General: Nothing unusual occurred during the night in my front. Nothing of importance has occurred in my front to-day. The men have been employed in draining their pits of water and repairing damage done to the works by the rain. G. K. WARREN, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General BURNSIDE, Commanding Ninth Army Corps: The commanding general directs that under paragraph 9, of Special Orders, No. 191, of yesterday's date, from these headquarters, regimental organizations only will be sent to Washington, and no man will be sent who is not to be discharged before August 25, 1864. All re-enlisted men belonging to the regiments sent, as well as those who have joined since the date of original organization, will be disposed of as indicated in Circular No. 36 from the War Department for the case of the muster out of a regiment not veteran. Please acknowledge. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. (Same to Generals Hancock and Warren.) General WILLIAMS, HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Assistant Adjutant-General: There are no changes to report on the line, except the usual progress in the mine. The night was an unusually quiet one. A. E. BURNSIDE, Major-General. General WILLIAMS: HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, July 19, 1864—8.30 p. m. There is nothing especial to report from my line to-day. The batteries have stood the rain well and the magazines are dry. The lateral gal leries of the mine are pushed twenty-five and fifteen feet, respectively. They are to be each fifty feet. Cannon and mortar firing by the enemy has been quite brisk. A. E. BURNSIDE, Major-General. HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, NINTH ARMY CORPS, Before Petersburg, Va., July 19, 1864. Lieut. Col. LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General, Ninth Army Corps: COLONEL: I have the honor to report everything quiet on my front, with less firing during the past twelve hours than usual. Colonel Pleasants has pushed the left gallery of his work twenty-five feet and the right gallery fifteen feet. All the boxes for the charges are finished and ready for use. I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, ROBERT B. POTTER, Brigadier General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, July 19, 1864-8 a. m. Lieutenant-Colonel RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General: COLONEL: I have the honor to report that there was very little picket-firing in my front last night. The Twenty-fourth New York Cavalry and Fifty-first Pennsylvania are withdrawn from the lines, and will furnish details for pickets, &c. Very respectfully, O. B. WILLCOX, [General BURNSIDE:] HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, GENERAL: The cut in the work seems to be pretty well authenticated. It is just where the redoubt, toward which Potter is mining, joins their rifle-pit in the left angle (our left). It seems most probable that it is an embrasure to enfilade their line, but larger than would be necessary for that purpose. I have notified the brigade and battery commanders to be on the alert. Very respectfully, O. B. WILLCOX, HDQRS. SECOND BRIG., THIRD DIV., 9TH ARMY CORPS, Capt. R. A. HUTCHINS, Near Petersburg, Va., July 19, 1861. Assistant Adjutant-General, Third Div., Ninth Army Corps: CAPTAIN: It has just been reported to me, through Colonel Cutcheon, that the enemy has cut a passage-way through the part of the fort on 22 R R-VOL XL, PT III the right of the road. This passage is reported as being wide enough for four men to pass through abreast. A lieutenant in the Sixtieth Ohio claims now to have seen it this morning, but made no report of the matter. His name I have not yet ascertained. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. R. B. POTTER, WM. HUMPHREY, Colonel, Commanding Brigade. [First indorsement.] Commanding Second Division : The above is sent for your information, and I am directed by the general commanding to say that you will please direct your brigade commanders to keep a good lookout, as there seems to be a disposition. on the part of the enemy to break through our lines at the point above mentioned. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Assistant Adjutant-General. [Second indorsement.] Colonel STEERE: HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION. You will take every precaution to secure the safety of your line, and particularly make sure against any surprise, holding your entire cominand in readiness to resist an attack. [Third indorsement.] GENERAL:* You will have your command in readiness to move in support of the First Brigade, or to any other point that may be required. HDQRS. CAVALRY CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Brig. Gen. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of the Potomac: GENERAL: I have the honor to respectfully and urgently request the return of the mounted and dismounted cavalry of this corps now at Washington City and its vicinity. It is scarcely necessary to enumerate the many reasons in favor of their immediate return. Those mounted can be of little service to the Government, as they are without organizations or officers. The dismounted men at Giesborough, if sent here to my dismounted camp, can be mounted as the horses arrive, the best first, and the balance, kept under good discipline, available at all times. I hope that no time will be lost in getting these men back. The enemy is increasing his cavalry force every day, while we have about Washington 6,000 or 7,000 men without horses, in consequence of which they are a burden instead of a benefit to the Government. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, P. H. SHERIDAN, Major-General. |