HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, General WEITZEL: General Turner's division is en route to City Point. July 31, 1864. E. O. C. ORD, Major-General. HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA, Maj. Gen. E. O. C. ORD, Eighteenth Corps: July 31, 1864—8.45-a. m. Turner was not ordered to be sent to City Point. He was ordered here. The copy of the telegram I sent you is all right on this point. I have headed off Turner and he is now here in person. G. WEITZEL, General MEADE: HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, July 31, 1864. The state of Burnside's front required I should leave two divisions, colored and Stannard's, in Burnside's trenches. They were to be sent me to-night. Have not come. If Turner leaves I have but Ames left. Can you order Burnside to send me Carr's division at once?* E. O. C. ORD, General MEÅDE: HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH CORPS, Burnside reports it almost impossible to relieve either of my divisions to-night; hopes to do so to-morrow night. As he is so reduced would it not be well to give Warren some of his front? E. O. C. ORD, Major-General. JULY 31, 1864-8 a. m. General ORD: Were your men all relieved last night and returned to you? GEO. G. MEADE, General MEADE: HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH CORPS, Two brigades of First (Burnham's) Division came back this morning, enough to prevent enemy thinking from the two moves of Hancock and Turner out of trenches that we were evacuating. General Turner's division has gone to City Point. E. O. C. ORD, *For reply see Meade to Burnside and Ord, 1 a. m., p. 700. Major-General ORD: HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Please report specifically what troops of your corps are retained by General Burnside, as I get no reports from that officer. GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General. General MEADE: HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, July 31, 1864-9.45 a. m. Turner's division went back to General Butler, not to City Point. E. O. C. ORD, General MEADE: HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH CORPS, July 31, 1864—10.20 a. m. General Burnside has still one brigade of four regiments of the colored division and one brigade of First Division, Eighteenth Army Corps, and five companies of the One hundred and fifteenth New York Infantry, Turner's division, Tenth Corps. I can get along without pressing Burnside for these men. E. O. C. ORD, General MEADE: HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, July 31, 1864. I report the following casualties in my corps, including Turner's division of the Tenth Army Corps: Six officers killed and 22 wounded, 33 men killed and 281 wounded; missing, 50; total, 392. Colonel PIPER: E. O. C. ORD, Major-General of Volunteers. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, With regard to the guns that are to remain General Ord will decide. In reference to the transportation for the siege material confer with Colonel Abbot, at Broadway Landing. H. J. HUNT, HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, July 31, 1864. General WEITZEL: Shall I send Coehorns from trenches? They are useful here as my front is weak. Shall I take 8-inch mortars from trenches? It would excite suspicion. E. O. C. ORD. HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA, Major-General ORD, Eighteenth Army Corps: I used the exact language of Lieut. Gen. U. S. Grant in my dispatch. I have sent your questions to him for his answer. G. WEITZEL, Brigadier-General and Acting Chief of Staff. JULY 31, 1864-10.45 a. m. General ORD, Eighteenth Corps: General Grant says you need not take the Coehorns and mortars from the trenches until further orders. GENERAL: I am directed by the major-general commanding to say that he desires you to relieve the troops of General Ames' division in the trenches from the road to the river with the brigade he ordered you to hold in readiness for that purpose; this after dark this evening. General Ord also desires me to say that the brigade of your division still on General Burnside's front will be relieved this evening, and he desires you to send the commanding officer word that as soon as relieved he will march his command to the woods near the Beasley house (the same encampment occupied by the reserve brigade of General Stannard's division) and encamp them. I am, general, very respectfully, &c., WM. RUSSELL, JR., CIRCULAR.] HDQRS. SECOND DIV., EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Near Petersburg, Va., July 31, 1864. Brigadier-General Burnham, commanding First Division, having been instructed to relieve that portion of the line formerly occupied by the troops of Brigadier General Stannard, the regiments of this com mand serving with Colonel Fairchild will, immediately upon being relieved, report to their respective brigade commanders. The line to he occupied by this command will extend from the command of General Burnham on the right to that of General Burnside on the left, and will, under the direction of the brigade commanders, be divided proportionally among the several commands. The front line only will be occupied, and in rear of the center of each brigade the reserves will be posted. This movement will commence immediately upon being relieved by General Burnham. By order of Brigadier-General Ames: CHARLES A. CARLETON, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. THIRD DIVISION, EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Brig. Gen. H. BURNHAM, Commanding First Division, Eighteenth Army Corps: GENERAL: By direction of the general commanding, I am directed to inquire if any part of your command has been relieved to-night. You will report at once if anything of importance occurs on your line. Send a field report to me in the morning. You will not be relieved till to-night. If you have not rations send for them at once. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. THIRD DIVISION, EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Maj. WILLIAM RUSSELL, Jr., In the Field, Va., July 31, 1864. Assistant Adjutant-General, Eighteenth Army Corps: MAJOR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of inquiry in regard to the position of troops of my command, and to inform you that the Second Brigade, of the Third Division, and Colonel Stevens' brigade, of the First Division, are still in the trenches, on General Burnside's front. I have sent a staff officer to conduct them to the camp designated upon their being relieved. I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant, HDQRS. CAVALRY CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Brig. Gen. A. V. KAUTZ, Commanding Cavalry Division: July 31, 1864, The general commanding directs that you relieve the First Cavalry Division, which is now picketing on the left of the army in the vicinity of Lee's Mill. General Torbert will turn over, for your guidance, his instructions on the subject. Your command will move without delay. Very respectfully, JAS. W. FORSYTH, Lieutenant-Colonel and Chief of Staff. [JULY 31, 1864.-For the "effective strength" of the Union forces operating against Richmond, see Part I, p. 178.] Abstract from return of the Army of the Potomac, Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, U. §. Army, commanding, for the month of July, 1864. Abstract from returns of the First and Third Cavalry Divisions and the Horse Artillery Brigade for the month of July, 1864. Organization of the Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, U. S. Army, July 31, 1864. GENERAL HEADQUARTERS. PROVOST GUARD. Brig. Gen. MARSENA R. PATRICK. 80th New York (20th Militia), Col. Theodore B. Gates. 68th Pennsylvania, Col. Andrew H. Tippin. 114th Pennsylvania, Col. Charles H. T. Collis. 1st Indiana Cavalry, Company K, Capt. Theodore Majtheny. 1st Massachusetts Cavalry, Companies C and D, Capt. Charles F. Adams, jr. 3d Pennsylvania Cavalry, Companies A, B, and M, Maj. James W. Walsh. *Guns not given on return. Note on return says: "The First and Third Divisions, Cavalry Corps, served with this army during the month of July, but it being understood that the records of those commands have been captured or lost, rendering it impracticable to obtain the returns for some time to come, and as they left this army early in August, it has been thought advisable to drop them from this return in order that this return might not be longer delayed." For abstract of the cavalry divisions omitted from the return of the Army of the Potomac, see following table: Aggregate present Pieces of field ar tillery. |