Washington for further orders. Early is undoubtedly returning here to enable the enemy to detach troops to go to Georgia. Hunter's troops must be tired. I would say, therefore, for him to take up such of the advanced positions suggested by him as in his judgment will best protect the line of the Potomac. If Wright and Hunter have started after the enemy with the view of following on to the road from Charlottesville to Gordonsville let them go. U. S. GRANT, CITY POINT, VA., July 23, 1864—10.30 p. m. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, Washington, D. C. Please send here all cavalry detachments, whether mounted or not, belonging to regiments here, with the exception of those belonging to the First Pennsylvania, Third Pennsylvania, First New Jersey, Third Indiana, Sixth Pennsylvania, and Eighth Pennsylvania. These regiments are being sent back, having but a short period to serve. Ú. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. WASHINGTON, D. C., July 23, 1864-2.30 p. m. Lieut. Gen. U. S. GRANT, City Point, Va.: A man who left Gordonsville on the 12th instant arrived here yesterday. He is intelligent and seems honest. He reports that when he left the cars were running through from Richmond to Gordonsville, Charlottesville, Staunton, and Lynchburg. The rebels were building a bridge over the Rapidan to get hay from Culpeper. C. A. DANA. Brig. Gen. M. C. MEIGS, CITY POINT, VA., July 23, 1864. Quartermaster-General: The animals called for in my dispatch to you of the 9th instant have not been received. They are greatly needed. I am directed so to inform you. There are vessels now in the Potomac which can bring these animals here and return in time for any troops that will be ready to embark for these armies. R. INGALLS, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff : July 23, 1864. GENERAL: A deserter from the Eleventh Alabama Regiment, Sanders' brigade, Mahone's division, Hill's corps, came into the lines of the Second Brigade, Second Division, Fifth Corps, about 10.30' a. m. today. He states that there have been no movements of A. P. Hill's or Longstreet's corps, to his knowledge, excepting the regular relief of brigades in the trenches by those in reserve. Mahone's division is lying in the same position, with Heth to the right and Longstreet's corps on the left. No troops have been sent away from Lee's army to informant's knowledge, and none have been added to it. No news of General Early's forces, other than that they are in the Valley and will probably remain there to secure the crop. NOTE.-The two divisions of Hill's corps (Heth's and Mahone's) that are now in our front have each a brigade in reserve, which occupies a protected position some distance to the rear of the trenches. The reserve brigade of Heth's division is encamped near and to the left of the Weldon railroad, about half way between the lead-works and the town. These are the troops that were seen by our agent on his late trip to Petersburg. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, No movement of troops or trains to-day. The atmosphere has been very unfavorable for observations all day. J. B. DUFF, Second Lieutenant, &c. Captain FISHER: WALTHALL SIGNAL STATION, The most smoky day I have seen for many months; consequently nothing seen; city invisible. Lieutenant Fearey endeavored to read a rebel message and got only the following words: "Leaving our front." CHARLES L. DAVIS, Captain, &c. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Brigadier-General WILLIAMS: There has been no change in the disposition of my line, except that one brigade of the Third Division has been assigned to a part of the line on the left flank, the division of General Gibbon being too small to occupy the line. WINF'D S. HANCOCK, General S. WILLIAMS: HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, 1 The work of changing and strengthening the line of rifle-pits lately occupied by General Ferrero's division has been continued since last report by General Gibbon's division and part of the Third Division. The First Division has been at work under charge of engineer department. I am cutting off the entire line made by General Ferrero from near the road, from Mrs. Smith's to Southall's, by a shorter and better line, and am felling a great deal of timber in the vicinity of the line. WINF'D S. HANCOCK, Major-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General HANCOCK: SIR: The commanding general directs that during to-night you have your ambulance and ammunition wagons drawn off from the main road, so that the way shall be clear for the advance of troops to-morrow morning, and also that you make arrangements to have the smallarm ammunition you may require to-morrow taken to the front on pack-saddles. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. CIRCULAR.]. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Hereafter there will be assigned permanently to each division one wagon-load of intrenching tools, to consist of 150 shovels, 150 axes, and 50 picks. Division commanders will take the necessary steps to secure the proper responsibility for these tools. They will not be sent away from the division, nor left at any place where fatigue details may be sent to work, except when specially ordered from these headquarters. The commanding officer Engineer Battalion will send a man with each of these wagons to remain with it to have care of the tools. By order of Major-General Hancock: FRANCIS A. WALKER, SPECIAL ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, July 23, 1864. No. 193. 1. Maj. Gen. D. B. Birney, U. S. Volunteers, having been assigned in orders from headquarters Armies of the United States to the command of the Tenth Army Corps, Brig. Gen. G. Mott, U. S. Volunteers, will assume command of the Third Division, Second Army Corps. By command of Major-General Hancock: FRANCIS A. WALKER, GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. 2D DIVISION, 2D ARMY CORPS, No. 57. The undersigned resumes command of the division. July 23, 1864. JOHN GIBBON, Major-General of Volunteers. GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. 3D DIVISION, 2D ARMY CORPS, ད July 23, 1864. The brigadier-general commanding division announces his staff as follows: Maj. John Hancock, assistant adjutant-general of volunteers, assistant adjutant-general; Capt. George W. Johnes, assistant quartermaster, assistant quartermaster; Capt. C. M. Robins, commissary of subsistence, commissary of subsistence; Surg. Orpheus Everts, Twentieth Indiana Volunteers, surgeon-in-chief; Maj. John Willian, Sixth New Jersey Volunteers, assistant inspector-general; Capt. W. W. Braman, Ninetythird New York Volunteers, provost-marshal; Capt. E. L. Ford, Ninety-ninth Pennsylvania, ordnance officer; Capt. Joseph U. Crawford, Sixth New Jersey Volunteers, engineer officer; First Lieut. William P. Shreve, Second U. S. Sharpshooters, assistant commissary of musters; First Lieut. Thomas H. Fisher, Eighth New Jersey Volunteers, aide-de-camp; First Lieut. William G. Thompson, Sixth New Jersey Volunteers, aide-de-camp; First Lieut. John R. Pancoast, One hundred and tenth Pennsylvania, ambulance officer. By command of Brigadier-General Mott: JOHN HANCOCK, Major and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, Assistant Adjutant-General: General S. WILLIAMS, I have to report all quiet during the night in my front. The following details were at work on my line last night: Six hundred men from First Division, 400 men from Second Division, 300 men from Fourth Division. G. K. WARREN, HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, Brig. Gen. S. WILLIAMS, July 23, 1864. Everything very quiet in my front during the day. One deserter from Eleventh Alabama was received and forwarded to army headquarters.. G. K. WARREN, Major-General, Commanding. SPECIAL ORDERS, Į * } HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, * 3. The Coehorn batteries will be under the direction of Colonel Wainwright, commanding Artillery Brigade, who, in his instructions, will consult the officer in command of the infantry or engineer in charge of working parties in his vicinity, so as to most effectually prevent the enemy from annoying them, either keeping down their fire by his own or ceasing to fire if he finds he is drawing an increased fire upon them. 4. While occupying the present position, the batteries now with the Third Division will also be under Colonel Wainwright's supervision, so as to provide properly for the caissons and horses not in the works. The service of the batteries themselves must be left to the judgment of each battery commander, in case of an engagement, but subject, if necessary, to the orders of the commander of the works near them in all that regards location of camps, tents, sinks, &c. * By command of Major-General Warren: FRED. T. LOCKE, Assistant Adjutant-General. General CRAWFORD: HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, GENERAL: There was, as it seemed, a neglect on your part to get the head of your column to the place of embarkation on the James River, on the 16th ultimo, by 4 a. m. It did not reach there till 6 a. m. General Meade complained to me of this. General Meade's order reached me at 11.55 p. m. on the 15th. The order was sent to you about 12.35 a. m. on the 16th. What time did it reach you? What time did you start; how far did you have to march, and what obstacles in the way, such as trains, did you encounter? Yours, respectfully, G. K. WARREN, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, FIFTH CORPS, [General WARREN:] GENERAL: The order for me to move to the wharf near the pontoon bridge, James River, so as to commence ferrying across at 4 a. m. June 16, is contained in paragraph 2, of circular of June 15, 1864, 11.55 p. m., headquarters Fifth Corps, and received about 1 a. m. the 16th instant. The two batteries serving with me moved out at 2.30 a. m., followed by the infantry. Near your headquarters, at the intersection of another road, a long wagon train was encountered. This obstruction, together with the delay by having no staff officer to guide me, being myself unacquainted with the route, caused the failure to arrive at the landing at the time appointed. The distance I should judge was between three and four miles. [S. W. CRAWFORD.] |