HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Lieutenant-General GRANT: I forward two dispatches* just received from General Hancock, which will explain themselves. General Hancock asks for instructions, which request is respectfully referred to you. My own opinion from the result of the day's operations and General Hancock's reports is that nothing will be accomplished by his longer continuance across the James. I have no report from General Sheridan and can form no judgment as to the expediency of his going farther. GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, Major-General MEADE, Army of the Potomac: The enemy only commenced about two hours ago re-enforcing Richmond from Petersburg. Twenty-nine car-loads of troops have been seen to pass the Junction within that time. This will make any surprise impossible, and may prevent our cavalry reaching the railroad. I will have this dispatch repeated to General Hancock and let him do what he can in the morning in the way of turning the enemy and driving him from his present position. After that he will be best able to determine whether it will be well to push farther. (Copy to General Hancock.) U. S. GRANT, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Lieutenant-General GRANT: I should judge from Hancock's dispatches that he does not consider himself in sufficient force to effect much. Can you not re-enforce him from some of Major-General Butler's troops? I make this suggestion because the stronger he is the more powerful the blow he can strike to-morrow. Major-General MEADE, Commanding, &c.: GEO. G. MEADE, CITY POINT, VA., July 27, 1864. General Butler's sending off the Nineteenth Corps leaves him very weak, so that I do not think he can re-enforce Hancock much. I will direct him, however, to send all the troops he can possibly spare. General Foster now has about 2,700 men at Deep Bottom, just in position to strike the enemy in flank if he is driven back. U. S. GRANT, * See Hancock to Meade, 4 p. m. and 6 p. m., pp. 512, 514. Lieutenant-General GRANT: JULY 27, 1864-9.45 p. m. I was not aware the Nineteenth Corps had been sent away, or was going away-indeed, I referred to those troops when I made the sug gestion I did. I have no doubt Hancock will do all he can, but the more troops he has, if he will put them in, the more sure of success he will be. GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, Major-General MEADE: The position now occupied by Hancock would give Sheridan no protection in returning by way of Bottom's Bridge. I do not want him to go unless the enemy is driven into Chaffin's Bluff or back to the city. Otherwise he would be compelled to return north of the Chickahominy, and it would be two or three weeks before his cavalry would be fit for other service. I do not want Hancock to attack intrenched lines, but I do want him to remain another day, and, if he can, with the assistance of his cavalry, turn the enemy's position and drive him away. It looks to me as if the cavalry might move well out and get in rear of the enemy. U. S. GRANT, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Lieutenant-General GRANT: I have had the most careful watch kept up to-day from all parts of my line to detect any movement of the enemy. The only report indicative of such movement was sent in by the picket officer on my extreme left, who reported the disappearance of camps and evacuation of the lines about the lead-works on the Weldon railroad, but the signal officer who commands a view of this portion of the enemy's position did not confirm it. If any troops have been moved they are most probably that part of Hill's corps, Heth's division, and part of Mahone's division, occupying the extreme right of the enemy beyond our left front, and which have been a kind of reserve for the enemy. There certainly has been no change in their lines in our immediate front or it would have been reported. GEO. G. MEADE, BERMUDA, July 27, 1864. General INGALLS, City Point: Steamers have been in readiness during the day awaiting the arrival of the troops. They reached here between 6 and 7 p. m. Stores and baggage are now being loaded. Steamers with troops will leave at day light. Captain How and assistants are superintending the embarka tion. Pilot says cannot move before light as he cannot pass through vessels lying at City Point. Very respectfully, JOHN B. HOWARD, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff: July 27, 1864. GENERAL: Two deserters from the Twelfth Mississippi, Harris' brigade, Anderson's division, Hill's corps, came into our lines at 8 o'clock last night. They left the trenches about dark. They corroborate our latest information regarding the position of their division. They state that Heth's division is on their right, but not in line; that it has not been in the trenches for some time; that they are encamped just to the rear of their works along the Weldon railroad and in the vicinity of the leadworks; that they are always in readiness to go into the trenches, if necessary, but that there is nothing in front of them. One of informants was in Petersburg on Monday last to visit a friend in Barksdale's old brigade, of McLaws' division. This brigade was encamped near the reservoir, and was under marching orders, but has not yet moved, to informant's knowledge. He did not learn where the rest of the division was, but understood that it was somewhere in the vicinity, and that the entire division was under marching orders. Barksdale's brigade was separated from the rest of the division in order to get a better camping-ground. Same informant has lately (some time last week) been to visit Jenkins' (South Carolina) brigade, of Field's division, which lay to the left of Anderson's division. This brigade was building a fort on the extreme right of Lougstreet's corps. One of informants received a letter from Jackson, Miss., dated the 12th instant. At that time a portion of Kirby Smith's command was marching through the town. It had crossed the Mississippi below Vicksburg, and was said to be on the way to re-enforce Johnston. Neither of informants can account for Wilcox's division. Two contrabands came from Petersburg last evening. They left about midnight; came out of town on the Vaughan road as far as the lead-works, then took the stage road to within a mile of Reams' Station, where they crossed the railroad and came into our lines. They report no infantry below the lead-works, except several companies at the Six-Mile House, sent out there from the lead-works on picket. The cavalry patrol the stage road and picket on this side the railroad. They think it is the Hampton Legion. They have been in Petersburg for some time; have seen no movement of troops lately, except about the middle of last week a brigade (unknown) passed over on the Chesterfield side, and about the same time another brigade came from the Chesterfield side to this. They have not been permitted to go about the enemy's lines, and can give no information of their position, and they are not informed of any important movement of late. A contraband came into our lines night before last from Reams' Statiou. He states that he was a servant of an officer in the Twentieth Georgia Cavalry [Battalion. He is unintelligent and can give no important information. We can learn, however, from his story that Young's bri gade of cavalry is about three miles south of Reams' Station between the railroad and Jerusalem plank road. He knows of no infantry in that vicinity. Considerable dismounted cavalry was near the burnt mills about a mile southeast of Reams' Station. Very respectfully, GEO. HI. SHARPE, Colonel, &c. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff: July 27, 1864. GENERAL: A deserter from the Ninth Florida, Finegan's brigade, Anderson's old division, Hill's corps, came into the lines of the Fifth Army Corps last night about 2 o'clock. He states that his brigade relieved Wright's (Georgia) brigade night before last, and occupies the same position in the trenches across the Jerusalem plank road; knows of no movements of late; thinks Field's division, of Longstreet's corps, is on the left of Anderson, and Heth's division, of Hill's corps, on the right; does not know where Wilcox's division is; thinks it is in reserve; thinks no troops have been sent away lately; has not been in the army long, and can give very little information. We think from informant's statement that up to dark last night, when he came on picket, no changes have taken place on the right of the enemy's line occupied by Heth's and Anderson's divisions, of Hill's corps, and Field's division, of Longstreet's corps. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEORGE H. SHARPE, Colonel, &c. JULY 27, 1864–9 a. m. Captain FISHER: Parties of enemy at work on new line to left of Gregory's house; also on redoubt on old line one-half mile to left of Gregory's house. I. S. LYON, Lieutenant and Signal Officer. Captain FISHER: PLANK ROAD SIGNAL STATION, At 6 a. m. a train of six box-cars and two platform-cars passed south on Weldon railroad. The platform-cars were loaded with large boxes similar to dry-goods boxes. At 6.30 a column of infantry, 400 strong, marched to our right on Weldon railroad. Half an hour afterward a column of about an equal number came out of woods at a point a mile northwest from station, and reached into enemy's line, the left of the column resting at Gregory's house, and extending west. They at once began work on this portion of their line. J. B. DUFF, Capt. B. F. FISHER: PLANK ROAD SIGNAL STATION, July 27, 1864. I have just made a careful observation of the enemy's line from plank road to lead-works, and find no change in their camps. They have not broken up any of their camps, nor has there been any evidence of it to-day. At 11 a. m. discovered the enemy at work on a redoubt or fort of considerable size two miles and a half southwest from station and three-quarters of a mile south of lead-works. A train of cars, eight in number, passed into the city this p. m. No other movement or change. J. B. DUFF, Signal Officer. HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Capt. B. F. FISHER, Chief Signal Officer: A party is working in intrenchments at Farley's this morning. The officer reports that we are strengthening works at Gilliam's farm, and that three companies of cavalry just passed the pontoons from this side. C. L. DAVIS, Captain and Signal Officer. JULY 27, 1864–2 p. m. Captain FISHER: The enemy's signal officer has just reported the following: Since yesterday p. m. the enemy has pitched an encampment of some extent on Maria Gilliam's farm, and they are still at work on the fortifications there. CHAS. L. DAVIS, Captain, &c. JULY 27, 1864. Captain FISHER: The enemy's signal officer watching Point of Rocks reports movement of two regiments of infantry left of Cobb's. The signal officer watching front of Eighteenth and Ninth Corps has just reported a squadron of cavalry moving toward our front on road near Hare's house, and fifteen ambulances on road near Battery 5, going in same direction CHAS. L. DAVIS, Captain FISHER: Captain, &c. JULY 27, 1864-5 p. m. Small party of enemy at work shoveling inside of redoubt, near Gregory's house; also, on work one-half mile to left of Gregory's house. Work is abandoned on new line. I. S. LYON, Lieutenant and Signal Officer. |