more are relieved from picket 10 a. m. daily, generally excused for balance of day; 150 men One hundred and thirty-third Ohio National Guard on daily engineer fatigue on fortifications and magazines about two or three times each week. I have to send from 50 to 150 men to repair U. S. military telegraph line from this place to Swan Point, absent from one to two days each time. Ten to 15 men Ohio National Guard at work on lookout. Yesterday very wet a. m. In p. m. division inspector here inspecting One hundred and thirty-third Ohio National Guard. Brigadier-General WEITZEL: G. S. INNIS, Colonel, Commanding. FORT POWHATAN, July 26, 1864. GENERAL: Is it expected at department headquarters that I will personally superintend details on engineer fatigue duty; or shall I as heretofore place such details under the superintendence of Lieutenant Baldwin? Am I held responsible for any insufficiency of his superintendence? G. S. INNIS, Colonel, Commanding. HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA, Colonel INNIS, Fort Powhatan: Your dispatch received. Assist the engineers as much as possible and get that work done. General WEITZEL: G. WEITZEL, Brigadier-General and Acting Chief of Staff. FORT POWHATAN, VA., July 26, 1864. GENERAL: I consider Lieutenant Baldwin a very inefficient officer. He sometimes keeps fatigue details waiting from half to one and a half hours before he gets ready to get them to work. One-half the men under proper management could turn off more work. Colonel INNIS, Fort Powhatan : G. S. INNIS, Colonel, Commanding. JULY 26, 1864. It is only expected that you furnish all details he asks for with promtitude. You are not responsible for his inefficiency. If you think he is inefficient it is your duty to report him to these headquarters at once. I can send a better officer, but do not care to make the change just now. G. WEITZEL, Brigadier-General and Acting Chief of Staff. Major-General BUTLER: FORT POWHATAN, July 26, 1864. I have arrested three prominent citizens between here and Swan Point held as hostages for safety of telegraph line. I cannot well keep them here. Shall I send them to Bermuda Hundred? [Indorsement.] G. S. INNIS, Colonel, Commanding. Hold on to them so as to execute them if necessary on the spot. SPECIAL ORDERS, WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, No. 249. * Washington, July 26, 1864. 26. Brig. Gen. E. A. Wild, U. S. Volunteers, is detailed as chief mustering and disbursing officer for the rendezvous at Fortress Monroe, Va., vice Col. A. G. Draper, Thirty-sixth U. S. Colored Troops, relieved. * By order of the Secretary of War: W. A. NICHOLS, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS KAUTZ's CAVALRY DIVISION, Col. R. M. WEST, Commanding First Brigade: COLONEL: The general commanding directs you to have your command in readiness to march at dark this evening, with four days' rations, two days' forage, and fifty rounds of ammunition per man. No wagons or carriages will be allowed to accompany the command. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, H. BURR, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. (Same to Col. S. P. Spear, commanding Second Brigade.) CITY POINT, VA., July 26, 1864. COMMANDING OFFICER, Fortress Monroe: Send all the troops from the Department of the Gulf passing Fortress Monroe directly to Washington, unless you receive other orders. U. S. GRANT, HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA, In the Field, July 26, 1864—5 p. m. Brigadier General CARR, Yorktown: The commanding general directs that if you have completed your work at your present post, as you report you have, that you will repair at once to these headquarters for assignment to duty. Respectfully, G. WEITZEL. Brigadier General and Acting Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA, Commander W. H. MACOMB, Senior Naval Officer, Sounds of North Carolina: CAPTAIN: It has been represented to me that there are many men on the banks of the Chowan who, having been conscripted by the rebel authorities, are looking for a chance of escape to our lines, and I have been urged to send a boat there to get them away. I send to-day, in charge of Lieut. G. F. Ward, of my staff, a steamer, and if I can procure a barge I shall also send that for the purpose of bringing away these people and also what cotton can be easily and safely procured. If you can send a gun-boat with this steamer I think much more can be accomplished, and I will thank you to do so. The steamer I send will carry two or more guns, and I shall also send an infantry force. Lieutenant Ward will explain all my plans. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 1. N. PALMER, Brigadier-General. SPECIAL ORDERS, Į WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, July 26, 1864. No. 249. * * * 6. Bvt. Maj. Gen. W. H. Emory, U. S. Volunteers, wil. proceed without delay to join the part of the Nineteenth Army Corps at City Point, Va. By order of the Secretary of War: E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. Lieutenant-General GRANT: WASHINGTON, July 27, 1864–1.30 p. m Your telegram received, and is satisfactory. The President will wait your convenience for consultation on the subject of your dispatch brought by General Rawlins. General Halleck has been ordered to issue, subject to your direction, such military orders as may be neces sary at the present juncture in accordance with the suggestion made in your telegram of yesterday. I would respectfully beg your own attention so far as possible to Point Lookout, for I am apprehensive of an effort to release the prisoners there. EDWIN M. STANTON, Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, Chief of Staff of the Army: WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, July 27, 1864. GENERAL: Lieutenant-General Grant having signified that, owing to the difficulties and delay of communication between his headquarters and Washington, it is necessary that in the present emergency military orders must be issued directly from Washington,* the President directs me to instruct you that all the military operations for the defeuse of the Middle Department, the Department of the Susquehanna, the Department of Washington, and the Department of West Virginia, and all the forces in those departments, are placed under your general command, and that you will be expected to take all military measures necessary for defense against any attack of the enemy and for his capture and destruction. You will issue from time to time such orders to the commanders of the respective departments and to the military authorities therein as may be proper. Your obedient servant, EDWIN M. STANTON, WASHINGTON, July 27, 1864-1.30 p. m. Lieutenant-General GRANT, City Point, Va.: No reports of enemy's movements since yesterday. A scout from the Rapidan says that the bridge at that place is completed, and cars running to Culpeper Court-House. Enemy's cavalry at Culpeper and at the bridge. General Crook has gone to unite with Wright at South Mountain, or on the Monocacy, according as the enemy attempts to cross above or below Harper's Ferry. H. W. HALLECK, Major-General and Chief of Staff. CITY POINT, VA., July 27, 1864-9 p. m. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, Chief of Staff: The movement this morning to the north bank of James River resulted in the repulse of three brigades of the enemy from an intrenched position, and the capture of four 20-pounder Parrott guns. The loss was very slight and capture of prisoners small. The troops having marched at night were fatigued, and did not follow up their success as they otherwise would. Generals Sheridan and Kautz are now with Hancock, and the two together will try in the morning to push the enemy back into Richmond or south of the James River. U. S. GRANT, Major-General MEADE: CITY POINT, VA., July 27, 1864. In one hour I shall start for Deep Bottom. Dispatches addressed to me there will reach me. U. S. GRANT, * See Grant to Halleck, July 26, 1864, 12.30 p. m., p. 457. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Lieutenant-General GRANT: I send two dispatches just received.* After reaching Deep Bottom, if you will notify the operator General Hancock's dispatches will be handed to you there and the fact recorded when sent to me. Respectfully, GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, July 27, 1864—11.50 a. m. (Received 10.30 a. m.) Lieutenant-General GRANT, Deep Bottom: The cavalry on my left reports the enemy's infantry in force on the Jerusalem plank road, abreast of Lee's Mill; also the constant running of trains last night. I infer the enemy have noticed the disappearance of Hancock's camps and expect a raid on the Weldon road and have sent troops to meet it. When they find their mistake I should look for a movement on my left and rear. GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General. Major-General MEADE, CITY POINT, VA., July 27, 1864-12.30 p. m. Commanding, &c.: General Ord reports trains running all the time from Petersburg to Richmond. I think we can rely on the place being left tolerably bare. U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF Lieutenant-General GRANT, Deep Bottom: THE POTOMAC, More recent reports from Brigadier-General McIntosh, commanding cavalry on my left, together with statements of contrabands who left Petersburg at midnight last night and came into our lines by way of Reams' Station, tend to disprove the report sent this morning that the enemy had infantry on the plank road to my left and rear. The contrabands say they could perceive no movement of the enemy last night, and no indications of any change on my front have been reported up to this moment. GEO. G. MEADE, See Hancock to Meade, 7.25 a. m. and 7.50 a. m., p. 511. |