GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEPT. OF VA. AND N. C., I. Brig. Gen. Godfrey Weitzel is. hereby announced as chief engineer of this department and army, and will be obeyed and respected accordingly. II. Brig. Gen. J. H. Martindale is hereby assigned to the command of the Second Division, Tenth [Eighteenth*] Army Corps. By command of Maj. Gen. B. F. Butler: R. S. DAVIS, Major and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS, May 20, 1864-10.35 a. m. General GILLMORE: The weak spot in your line is just at Ames' left. I would recommend strong reserves there. General GILLMORE: BENJ. F. BUTLER, Major-General, Commanding. MAY 20, 1864-11.40 a. m. I think your skirmish line near Widow Howlett's should be reestablished. It is important, for reasons in which you concur, that line should be held. It was too easily lost. Major-General BUTLER: BENJ. F. BUTLER, Major-General, Commanding. GILLMORE'S HEADQUARTERS, May 20, 1864-12.10 p. m. I omitted to report that Brigadier-General Walker, of the rebel service, is wounded and a prisoner in charge of my medical director. arge A. GILLMORE, Major-General. P. S.-Two of Turner's regiments came off picket this evening; have been fighting all day, and have been allowed to remain in camp to clean up their pieces, but are to move to front in case of firing. Q. A. GILLMORE, HEADQUARTERS TENTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General BUTLER : May 20, 1864-12.40 p. m. I understand from your order directing Brigadier-General Weitzel to inspect the intrenchments, make suggestions, and give orders, that he is on your staff (temporarily at least). Am I corect? I would respectfully suggest that f Q. A. GILLMORE, General GILLMORE : MAY 20, 1864-2.15 p. m. Colonel Serrell will be ordered to report to General Weitzel for orders, with his regiment, from and after the time he has a conference with General Weitzel, which Colonel Serrell will seek at once. BENJ. F. BUTLER, Major-General, Commanding. Colonel SMITH: HEADQUARTERS IN THE FIELD, In the Trenches, May 20, 1864-1.30 p. 'm. COLONEL: I have the honor to request that my position may be defined in orders, that there may be regularity somewhere if possible. I find various changes made in the line, places exposed, details put on and taken off by various officers, and I think it a simple duty to the country, the Tenth Corps, and myself, to make this request. I fear something may go wrong, and then it will be undetermined, perhaps, who was responsible. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, ED. W. SERRELL, Colonel of Engineers, New York Volunteers. I have not an ax left to make abatis. They are all taken away but about ten, by General Butler's order, I am told. The line on the left of General Ames is all wrong. One of the two lines only should be used; the other destroyed, I think. Lieutenant-Colonel SMITH, Assistant Adjutant-General: E. W. S. MAY 20, 1864-2.30 p. m. Lieutenant Michie tells me General Butler wants the advanced work on the left worked at all night to-night. The details for it should be provided. I have an officer there to-day. Shall I have one there to-night? ED. W. SERRELL, Colonel of Engineers, New York Volunteers. [Indorsement.] Act upon such directions as General Weitzel gives you. ED. W. SMITH, Assistant Adjutant-General. Received 3.30, and countermanded by General Gillmore in person. E. W. S. MAY 20, 1864-3.15 p. m. General Gillmore may revoke the order for Colonel Serrell to report to General Weitzel, but must see to it that Colonel Serrell sends no more messages like the one sent to department headquarters. BENJ. F. BUTLER, Major-General, Commanding. [Indorsement.] Colonel Serrell will observe the directions herein contained. Colonel SHAFFER, : ED. W. SMITH, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS TENTH ARMY CORPS, Chief of Staff, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina: COLONEL I find the enemy in strong force, and am losing heavily. The left seems to be safe enough. A prisoner says their line runs from one river to the other, with rifle-pits, &c., and the number supposed to be there is about 20,000 men. I think if you wish the attack pushed, I should have more troops. General Terry has just informed me that the right of his picket-line is threatened by a mass of troops, said to be a brigade. Very respectfully, yours, Q. A. GILLMORE, Major-General, Commanding. General SMITH: [First indorsement.] 4.45 P. M. You will send two brigades to the relief of General Gillmore. BENJ. F. BUTLER, Major-General, Commanding. [Second indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, May 20, 1864-4.55 p. m. I have one regiment not in line. Every regiment beyond that leaves a gap in my line. I shall give the orders to get ready, but shall not order them to report till I get other notice. [Third indorsement.] WM. F. SMITH, The enemy is very strong, I have no doubt, and General Gillmore appears to think that additional forces must be sent him, or he will have to draw off. I cannot decide here. The loss is heavy. HEADQUARTERS Major-General BUTLER: J. W. SHAFFER. TENTH ARMY CORPS, I have my trenches now garrisoned by the minimum force to make them safe. One full brigade at least should be sent to me in order to drive the enemy from the rifle-pits they captured this morning. If it is sent at once to replace my troops in the intrenchments, I will take off the latter and recapture the position lost this morning. Q. A. GILLMORE, Major-General, Commanding. HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA, General GILLMORE: If with the force you have you have been unable to force your line back, I think it may cost too much. risk to attempt it farther with the force which can be sent from General Smith's line. Can you hold what you have? Are the enemy pressing you if you retire? BENJ. F. BUTLER, Major-General, Commanding. GENERAL BUTLER'S HEADQUARTERS, Major-General GILLMORE: The commanding general desires that you charge your division commanders to make all preparations against surprise to-night. J. W. SHAFFER, Colonel and Chief of Staff. General GILLMORE: GENERAL SMITH'S HEADQUARTERS, The gun-boats would assist you much, if you would order General Terry to slash down that ravine on his right at once. G. WEITZEL, GENERAL BUTLER'S HEADQUARTERS, Major-General GILLMORE: Colonel Abbot, First Connecticut Artillery, reports that a 30-pounder Parrott is stuck in the mud about 1 mile below your headquarters. Please detail sufficient men to haul it to the desired position. J. W. SHAFFER, Colonel and Chief of Staff. Colonel SHAFFER, Chief of Staff: Your dispatch relative to extricating the 30-pounder gun is received. All my men have fought or worked all day, or will work all night. I would suggest that the detail be made from some other force. Please answer. Q. A. GILLMORE, General GILLMORE: GENERAL BUTLER'S HEADQUARTERS, Your dispatch dated 7.30 p. m. was received at 10.30. You had better draw in your line according to the suggestions of my dispatch of 5.30 p. m. The weakness of your works requires this and that we take no risks. You will see to it that strong working parties are kept busy upon the line during the night. Guard against surprise. B. F. BUTLER, Major-General. GENERAL BUTLER'S HEADQUARTERS, May 20, 1864-11 p. m. (Received 11.25 p. m.) General GILLMORE: You will have Turner's division in the immediate rear of Ames', ready to support him in case of a possible assault by the enemy at daybreak. I think this important. Acknowledge receipt. BENJ. F. BUTLER, Major-General. MAY 20, 1864-11.25 p. m. Major-General BUTLER: Your dispatch of 11 p. m. received. Turner's division is bivouacked in the open field in rear of Ames', in readiness to support him. Working parties are out, and will be all night. Major-General GILLMORE, Q. A. GILLMORE. MAY 20, 1864-12 midnight. Commanding Tenth Corps: GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your two notes of this evening. I found great difficulty in getting 600 men from the different commands to-night. These, however, are at work. They have some of them been fighting to-day. I do not know which work General Weitzel orders first, not having read his dispatch, when I found I had opened it by mistake. Is 600 enough for to-night? I think it well to ask for details from Eighteenth if we are to fight again to-morrow. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, ED. W. SERRELL, Colonel of Engineers, New York Volunteers. HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Maj. Gen. Q. A. GILLMORE, Commanding Tenth Army Corps: SIR: In accordance with orders from Major-General Butler, I have given the following orders to Brigadier-General Ames and |