HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General WARREN, Commanding Fifth Corps: Your dispatch received. You can relieve Hancock's troops at once, if you can do so without observation by the enemy. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS: July 31, 1864. Our helpless wounded are still lying close to the enemy's line and they give them no help. There is no firing going on. Our men and the enemy are standing up on the parapets. They could help them if they would. The wounded seem to be mostly colored men who are writhing with their wounds in this almost insufferable sun, and I think the neglect of them must be intentional. I think we should open fire upon the enemy if he refuses to let us go and take care of these men. G. K. WARREN, Major-Genera!. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Your dispatch relative to the wounded lying close to the enemy's line is received. A communication to General Lee upon the subject of the wounded has been made by the major-general commanding, and an informal request concerning them authorized to be made of the immediate commander of the troops by the officer carrying the communication. As yet no reply has been received. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General WARREN: Can you not by strengthening your front line extend so as to cover the line from your present left to the redoubt on the Norfolk road? As soon as matters are settled I shall direct Major-General Burnside to extend his line and relieve Cutler, but I cannot relieve him to do it to-night, as I do not know in what condition either his force or his works are in. My object is to get Hancock's whole corps in reserve. He will put a division to-night into these works. GEO. G. MEADE, General MEADE: JULY 31, 1864. In regard to extending my troops to the left as far as the redoubt on the Norfolk road, I would state that I have now Crawford's division in the redoubts on the left and on picket; Griffin's division in a single line with two or three reserve regiments; Cutler's division, one brigade in the front line and one in reserve; Ayres' division, all in reserve. I cannot make my line materially stronger except by the erection of redoubts at intervals along it, but this would take time. I hardly feel that we could hold our line against a strong attack without some reserve, but will try to do so if you think it advisable to send General Ayres' to take position and relieve the division of the Second Corps. Respectfully, G. K. WARREN, HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, Brigadier-General WILLIAMS: I have the honor to report that nothing of importance has transpired in my front to-day. I have relieved General Hancock's pickets and placed men in the redoubts. The rest will be relieved early to-morrow morning by daylight or earlier if possible-as soon as my men are relieved. G. K. WARREN, HEADQUARTERS FOURTH DIVISION, FIFTH ARMY CORPS, July 31, 1864. General WARREN: I was mistaken in saying Hofmann was out of the trenches. Only a part of his brigade is out, he having relieved Bragg last night. I can, however, relieve the picket-line and occupy the redoubt with Bragg and what there is of Hofmann out of the trenches. ready in a very short time. Will have the men L. CUTLER, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General BURNSIDE: It is expected and understood that the troops of the Eighteenth Corps return to their former position. Major-General Burnside will at once return those on his line. (Same to General Ord.) GEO. G. MEADE, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General BURNSIDE, Commanding Ninth Corps: The major-general commanding directs me to call your attention to the fact that you have made no report to him upon the condition of affairs in your front since he left your headquarters yesterday, and that you have made no reply to the two special communications upon the subject sent you last night at 7.40 and at 10.40. I am also directed to inquire as to the cause of these omissions. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS: Your dispatch was received just as I was making out a report of our casualties. I have used every means to get something like accurate reports, but it has been difficult. The rumors are very numerous and exaggerated. I will send report by messenger. The order to retreat caused great confusion, and we have lost largely in prisoners. General Ord's men on our line were not relieved. A. E. BURNSIDE, General WILLIAMS, HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Assistant Adjutant-General: I have the honor to report that all was quiet on my line. There was comparatively [little firing. The remainder of General Ord's troops will be relieved during the day, if possible; certainly to night. Everything that could be relieved by me was done last night. Nearly 100 wounded are lying between the lines in our front, which possibly could be brought in by a flag of truce. A. E. BURNSIDE, HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff: The report of casualties spoken of in my last dispatch will be delayed an hour. A. E. BURNSIDE, Major-General MEADE, HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Commanding Army of the Potomac: GENERAL: I have the honor to request that a flag of truce be sent out for the purpose of making arrangements for assisting the wounded and burying the dead left on the field of battle. The number of the wounded left between the lines and beyond the first lines of the enemy has been exaggerated by rumor. They are not believed to amount to over 100 in all. Of these there are but few between the lines, the greater part being beyond the first line of the enemy's works. I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. E. BURNSIDE, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General BURNSIDE: Very respectfully, &c., S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS: The commanding general desires to know if he is to understand the letter to General Lee is to be forwarded sealed. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Maj. Gen. A. E. BURNSIDE, Commanding: I am instructed by the commanding general to say that the letter to General Lee is to be forwarded sealed if it is found necessary to send it. In the letter transmitting it to you you were informed of the pur * See Meade to Lee, p. 691. port of the letter, and it was stated that it would not be necessary for it to go to General Lee if the officer taking it to the enemy's lines could make an informal arrangement with the officer receiving it for the recovery of our wounded and dead. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Aajutant-General. HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff: July 31, 1864. The telegraph operators at my headquarters were arrested this morning, and I understand that the cause of their arrest was the taking off of messages and delivering them to me. Whatever they have done in that way was by my direction and for what I conceived to be for the good of the public service. No cipher messages have ever been taken off. I am entirely responsible for this and am to blame if any one is. They have been active and efficient during the campaign, and should not be made to suffer for what they could not help doing. A. E. BURNSIDE, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Maj. Gen. A. E. BURNSIDE, Your dispatch relative to the arrest of the telegraph operators at your headquarters has been submitted to the major-general commanding, who directs me to say that he is surprised to learn that you had given them such orders after the conversation he had with you upon the subject, in which he declined to authorize your doing so. The commanding general further directs me to say that the operators were expressly prohibited from taking off any messages except those directed to the commanders with whom they were serving, and must therefore be tried for the offense. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Maj. Gen. A. E. BURNSIDE: S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. |