the troops here to cross at once it can be done by closing the gap and holding the troop steamers and quartermasters' boats below and let them pass in a body afterward, if you so order it. H. W. BENHAM, Brigadier-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, June 14, 1864-11.30 p. m. (Received 12.45 a. m. 15th.) Brigadier-General BENHAM: Complete the bridge. General Burnside, with the Ninth Corps, will be ordered to cross at once. Request, in my name, the officer in command of the Atlanta to stop all boats below the bridge, and to-morrow a time will be fixed and a selection made of such as it is important to pass through. Take charge of the bridge. General Burnside will be directed to refer to you in passing over his command. Acknowledge receipt. GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Brigadier-General BENHAM: I have changed the orders, and now have directed Burnside, Wright, and Warren to send over their trains and surplus artillery with guards. I don't like to cross any troops till the big train gets nearer to us. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Maj. Gen. W. S. HANCOCK, Commanding Second Corps: SIR: The commanding general directs that you at once move your corps to the south side of the James River upon transports to be furnished by the quartermaster's department, and encamp upon suitable ground after crossing the river. You will cross at Wilcox's Wharf. I a am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, June 14, 1864. Brig. Gen. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of the Potomac : GENERAL: As soon as the telegraph is open to the wharf I shall move my headquarters there. Your obedient servant, WINF'D S. HANCOCK, Major-General, Commanding. June 14, 1864. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Brig. Gen. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of the Potomac: GENERAL: I have the honor to report that this command has three days' rations from this morning, and that this corps is not out to-morrow night, as I understood the major-general commanding to believe this a. m. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, WINF'D S. HANCOCK, Major-General of Volunteers, Commanding. Major-General HANCOCK: HEADQUARTERS SECOND CORPS, GENERAL: There are no conveniences for loading artillery or wagons here now. All that can be done is to send the infantry down as needed. I think General Birney's division will not be over before 4 o'clock. The artillery and trains cannot cross here; that is, it will take all the time and transportation. There are no boats or barges for horses General Birney's division commenced embarking at 10.50. C. H. MORGAN. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Brig. Gen. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of the Potomac: GENERAL: General Gibbon now starts. General Birney had about one brigade to cross at 3 p. m. An effort is being made to get two landings on each side very soon. Your obedient servant, WINF'D S. HANCOCK, HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff, Army of the Potomac: GENERAL: I have the honor to report that General Birney's division is all across the river, and that one brigade of General Gibbon's division is now embarked." I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WINF'D S. HANCOCK, General S. WILLIAMS: HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, General Gibbon's division will be entirely over shortly, and General Barlow's is at hand. The boats on this side are for the moment exhausted on account of the lesser facilities on the other for landing. General Birney is working at the upper wharf on that side now. WINF'D S. HANCOCK, Major-General. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff, Army of the Potomac : GENERAL: I have the honor to state that with the aid of four or five pontoon-boats on the south side of the river we can make two landings instead of one, as is now the case. There are steam-boats enough here to use both landings. There are two wharves on this side. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WINF'D S. HANCOCK, General WILLIAMS, HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of the Potomac: GENERAL: Two brigades and two regiments of the Second Division have now gone over. I shall send four guns without caissons on the next boat. Your obedient servant, WINF'D S. HANCOCK, Major-General of Volunteers, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General HANCOCK, Commanding Second Corps: Your dispatch is received. The commanding general has directed that six pontoons be sent you. Send the order down by one of the steam-boats to General Benham, so that the pontoons can come to you at once. If you have no control of the steam-boats, this order will be sufficient authority. I send the order for General Benham to your headquarters, since the telegraph line is not finished to the bridge-head yet. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General HANCOCK: Has any of your artillery crossed? If so, what proportion? You need not spend any time in taking up a line, but hold yourself ready to move, as you may receive orders to march to Petersburg, in which case rations will be sent you from City Point. GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff, Army of the Potomac: GENERAL: I have embarked one battery, but there is considerable difficulty about landing it on the other side. If we had some ferry-boats here, such as I have seen passing up the river, they could be used to great advantage. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WINF'D S. HANCOCK, HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Brig. Gen. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of the Potomac : GENERAL: An examination made this afternoon for the purpose of establishing a line as indicated from Powell's Creek shows that the map is very much in error. My engineer officer crossed the creek on the road from Wind-Mill Point, and says it is between five and six miles from the point, and the crossing is five miles from the river. The tide makes up nearly to the crossing. All the white people have left their residences. They left on Friday, since which time we have been expected, according to the reports of colored persons. I established my line with its right practically on the river, and extending in the direc tion of Fort Powhatan, and crossing some distance [out] the Petersburg road. Your obedient servant, WINF'D S. HANCOCK, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, [Maj. Gen. W. S. HANCOCK:] [First indorsement.] Major-General. Referred to Colonel Morgan. I do not suppose this will alter the matter. I wish an order issued for this movement from our present light, sufficiently comprehensive for practical purposes. Send a copy here, or the original to be copied. [Second indorsement.] W. S. HANCOCK], Major-General. I don't know how to issue any order to amount to anything where everything depends on contingencies. The inclosed is the best I can do.* I am going over by the next boat. Major-General MEADE: C. H. M[ORGAN]. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, I have sent over six pieces with their limbers; two other pieces with eight caissons will cross as soon as I hear that the six pieces and limbers have landed. No time will be spent in taking up a line to-night, as a line was established to-day. When the ferry-boats arrive there will be no difficulty in crossing artillery, except as to the time it will take. WINF'D S. HANCOCK, HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, General HUMPHREYS: *Not found as an inclosure. |