General MEADE: HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, July 31, 1864. The strength of this corps to-day is about 10,000 men. If we relieve Ord's troops it will be as much as we ought to do considering the strength of the corps, the service it has been on for the past six weeks, and what it went through with yesterday, but we will try to relieve Cutler's division also if no further instructions are received. A. E. BURNSIDE, Major-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General BURNSIDE, Commanding Ninth Corps: Your dispatch to General Meade is received. The major-general commanding directs me to say that the order for you to relieve the part of General Warren's line held by General Cutler is imperative and cannot be suspended or rescinded. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, General BURNSIDE: July 31, 1864. I have just telegraphed to General Meade that I can get along until to-morrow without the troops of the Eighteenth which you have. I felt the need of some one in reserve after Turner's division left, hence my call for Carr's men. E. O. C. ORD, General WILLIAMS: HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, July 31, 1864—6 p. m. I sent one of my staff to endeavor to make the informal arrangement in regard to relieving the wounded, and if not made to forward the communication to General Lee. He was unable to effect any arrangement beyond supplying water and whisky to the wounded between the lines, and passing whisky into our wounded in their lines. They declined to receive the communication until their general officer could be consulted. Pending the answer a cessation of hostilities on our frort took place for about three hours, when the enemy insisted on resuming firing and the flag ceased There are not more than twenty wounded between the lines. The enemy are to inform us when they have permission to re: new the flag and receive the communication. A. E. BURNSIDE, Major-General. [Indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Lieutenant-Colonel COMSTOCK, City Point: July 31, 1861. The above is the latest report from General Burnside. Show it to Lieutenant-General Grant on his arrival. GEO. G. MEADE, HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS: The enemy informed us of their willingness to receive the communication, which was accordingly delivered to one of their company officers, the highest officer seen by Major Lydig, who had charge of the flag. They said it would be impossible to say when an answer would be given The flag still continues. us. A. E. BURNSIDE, HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS: The loss in this corps, in the engagement of yesterday, amounts to about 4,500, the great proportion of which was made after the brigade commanders in the crater were made aware of the order to withdraw. A. E. BURNSIDE, Major-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, July 31, 1864-7 p. m. General BURNSIDE: The commanding general directs that you at once withdraw the flag of truce. When the answer to the communication addressed to General Lee is ready it can then be received under a flag. The commanding general did not anticipate that the flag would be kept out longer than might be necessary to effect an arrangement for the recovery of the wounded or to deliver the letter for General Lee to the officer sent to receive it. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General BURNSIDE, Commanding Ninth Corps: July 31, 1864–7.20 p. m. Your dispatch relative to the loss in your corps yesterday is received. The commanding general requests that you will explain the meaning of 45-R R-VOL XL, PT III the latter part of the dispatch, and again reminds you that he has received no report whatever from you of what occurred after 11 a. m. yesterday. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. General BURNSIDE: HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, July 31, 1864—8.40 p. m. The commanding general directs me to inquire when he may expect the return of casualties in your command in the engagement of yesterday. He has seen your dispatch to General Humphreys giving the aggregate of the casualties, but he desires to have a statement showing the killed, wounded, and missing, distinguishing under each head between the officers and enlisted men. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. General WILLIAMS: HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, July 31, 1864–9 p. m. We are in process of relieving the troops on our line not belonging to this corps as also Cutler's division, of the Fifth Army Corps. All is comparatively quiet on my front. The flag of truce was withdrawn in accordance with the directions of the general commanding and arrangements made by which in the event of an answer from General Lee being in readiness communication can be opened with us. A. E. BURNSIDE, HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff : Your dispatch of 7.20 p. m. received. Just before the order for withdrawal was sent in to the brigade commanders in the crater the enemy made an attack upon our forces there and were repulsed with very severe loss to the assaulting column. The order for withdrawal, leaving the time and manner of the execution thereof to the brigade commanders on the spot, was then sent in, and while they were making arrangements to carry out the order the enemy advanced another column of attack. The officers knowing they were not to be supported by other troops, and that a withdrawal was determined, ordered the men to retire at once to our old line. It was in this withdrawal and consequent upon it that our chief loss was made. In view of the want of confidence in their situation, and the certainty of no support consequent upon the receipt of such an order, of whose moral effects the general commanding cannot be ignorant, I am at a loss to know why the latter part of my dispatch requires explanation. A. E. BURNSIDE, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General BURNSIDE, Commanding Ninth Corps: Your dispatch explanatory of that in relation to the loss in your corps yesterday is received. The major-general commanding directs me to say that the order for withdrawal did not authorize or justify its being done in the manner in which, judging from your brief report, it appears to have been executed, and that the matter should be inquired into by a court. The major-general commanding notices that the time and manner of withdrawal was left to the brigade commanders on the spot. He desires to know why there was not a division commander present where several brigades were engaged, and by whom the direction of the withdrawal could have been conducted. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. Commissioned officers and enlisted men of the Ninth Army Corps admitted (wounded) to the field hospitals of the Ninth Army Corps, from daybreak July 30 up to 8 a, m. July 31, 1864. Surgeon, U. S. Volunteers, Medical Director Ninth Army Corps. HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, NINTH ARMY CCRPS, [July 31, 1864-12.30 a. m. Lieut. Col. LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General: COLONEL: A staff officer of General Carr has just applied to me to relieve a portion of his division on the front line. I understood from General Burnside, I thought, that it was the intention to leave Carr's division on the line at present, and since I have received no orders to reoccupy it, or any portion of the line [that] was held by us heretofore. Some of my regiments are now on the line, having been driven back to it to-day. I do not know how I am to raise the other 8C0 or 900 men called for to relieve the rest of Carr's line. Please inform me by bearer if there are any orders about reoccupying our old lines, and what they are. Your obedient servant, ROBERT B. POTTER, HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, NINTH ARMY CORPS, Lieut. Col. LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General, Ninth Army Corps: COLONEL: I have the honor to report that everything is quiet on my front. I have but two regiments in the trenches. No movement of the enemy is reported. A detailed account of the casualties of yesterday will be forwarded as soon as received. I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, NINTH ARMY CORPS, Lieut. Col. LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General, Ninth Army Corps: COLONEL: Brigade commanders report that the enemy is constructing earth works at the right of the railroad, apparently for heavy guns; the position is such as would enable him to enfilade a portion of our lines at the left of the railroad. This is the only movement detected in our front. I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, ROBERT B. POTTER, Brigadier-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Brigadier-General POTTER, Commanding Second Division: GENERAL: The commanding general directs that you take up as soon after dark as possible the line occupied by your division before the assault, relieving all the troops not of your command. I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, NINTH ARMY CORPS, Before Petersburg, July 31, 1861-8 a. m. General J. WHITE, Chief of Staff, Ninth Corps: GENERAL: I have the honor to report little picket-firing during the night. Some of our wounded crept in during the night and early this a. m. About 50 are reported yet lying between the lines and some 200 or 300 dead. I have had the honor already to ask that a truce may be had, if possible, to get in the wounded and dead. Much labor will be required to repair the breast-works and abatis. The enemy show a new line of pits to their left and rear of the crater. Very respectfully, O. B. WILLCOX, |