GENERAL ORDERS, 1. HDQRS. EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, In accordance with orders from headquarters Department of Virginia and North Carolina, the undersigned assumes command of the Eighteenth Army Corps. All existing orders and regulations will remain in force until modified or revoked. The following officers are announced upon the staff of the majorgeneral commanding: Maj. Benjamin B. Foster, assistant adjutant-general. Surg. Daniel W. Hand, medical director. Lieut. Col. Francis Darr, chief commissary of subsistence. Lieut. James D. Outwater, aide-de-camp. The remainder of the staff will be announced in future orders. JOHN J. PECK, Major-General. SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. ARMY, ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, August 14, 1863. No. 361. * * * ** V. Brig. Gen. A. N. Duffié, U. S. Volunteers, will report in person without delay for duty to Brig. Gen. B. F. Kelley, U. S. Volunteers, commanding, &c., West Virginia. By command of Major-General Halleck: E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Commanding Officer First Corps: I am directed by the major-general commanding to inform you that information derived from scouts and other sources indicates a concentration of the enemy in the vicinity of the United States Ford. The purpose may be to turn the left of this army, or a cavalry raid only may be contemplated. To meet either of these projects, the cavalry has been concentrated, leaving a picket force only in your front. The major-general commanding instructs me to say that his operations for the present will be defensive. Should either a raid or movement to turn the flank of the army be commenced, it will undoubtedly be accompanied by a demonstration upon that part of the river held by your corps. In the disposition of your force, that portion on the south bank of the river is to be regarded as subsidiary to or forming a subordinate part of the main defense which is to be made from this side of the river. You will, therefore, hold in view the necessity that may occur of your being forced to withdraw the troops on the south side to the north side of the river, and eventually of abandoning the line of the Rappahannock. 4 R R-VOL XXIX, PT II The major-general commanding thinks it due to you to communicate the information received at these headquarters, and to acquaint you with the contingencies that may arise. Very respectfully, &c., A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General, and Chief of Staff. AUGUST 15, 1863. Commanding Officer Fifth Corps: Our cavalry in your front, immediate and advanced, is withdrawn and will not be replaced. We leave now no cavalry whatever on the Aestham River, nor on the Hedgeman River or Rappahannock above the fort near Beverly Ford, nor between those rivers. Cavalry scouts will move out constantly from Waterloo toward Little Washington and the mountains. Your front must be watched by your own pickets. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General, and Chief of Staff. AUGUST 15, 1863-6.30 p. m. Commanding Officer Eleventh Corps: Your dispatch relative to the number and arrangement of the force guarding the railroad depots and bridges from Bealeton to Union Mills (or vicinity) is received. The major-general commanding directs me to say that it was not intended to reduce the force of the railroad guard, of 12 men per mile; that guard in groups of 4, one-quarter of a mile apart, is to be constantly maintained. In addition to the railroad guard, there is to be a guard for each railroad station and each bridge. The guard at Warrenton Junction should be not less than 100 men. The whole force of railroad guard, station guard, and depot guard should be from 800 to 900 men. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General, and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Maj. Gen. H. W. SLOCUM, Commanding Twelfth Army Corps: The commanding general directs that the following regiments of your command proceed to Alexandria to-morrow, under the command of Brig. Gen. T. H. Ruger, for service, with the nature of which you are acquainted, viz: Second Massachusetts, Third Wisconsin, Twenty-seventh Indiana, and Fifth, Seventh, Twenty-ninth, and Sixty-sixth Ohio Regiments. You will please also send the One hundred and seventh New York Regiment if you think it advisable to do so. The regiments will march to Rappahannock Station, where railroad transportation will be furnished them. No supplies will be taken. The transportation now with the regiments will be turned over to Captain Peirce, assistant quartermaster, at his depot near these headquarters. Please cause General Ruger to be informed that the Fourth and One hundred and twenty-sixth Ohio, Fifth Michigan, and Fourteenth Indiana Regiments are ordered to report to him at Alexandria. General Ruger, on arriving at Alexandria, will report by telegraph to the General-in-Chief for further instructions, and also by telegraph to the Quartermaster-General. All men belonging to the regiments on daily or detached duty in the corps will accompany them. You are desired to report as soon as possible the number of officers and men for whom transportation will be required, and also when the command will probably reach Rappahannock Station. Please acknowledge. IV. The commanding general has learned that the wives of numerous officers and soldiers are now with this army. In view of the service the troops may at any moment be called upon to perform, the commanding general considers that the attention of the officers and men should be solely occupied with their public duties, and that the presence of their families is incompatible with the complete discharge of the same. It is therefore directed that all families now with the army, other than those who as nurses or attached to the Sanitary Commission have special authority from the War Department or these headquarters to visit and remain with it, be forthwith removed beyond its lines. The commanding general regrets that it has become his unpleasant duty to issue an order of this character, but he trusts that its propriety will be recognized, and that it will not be necessary for him to recur to the subject. By command of Major-General Meade: S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. SPECIAL ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS, I. The Third (Reserve) Brigade of the First Division of this corps will turn over their horses, arms, and equipments to the respective staff officers of that division and proceed to Alexandria under the orders of Brigadier-General Merritt, who will report in person to Major-General Stoneman, Chief of Cavalry Bureau, Washington, for the purpose of being placed in depot to be filled up and remounted. II. The commanding general of the First Cavalry Division will use the equipments, horses, and arms of the Third Brigade to mount and equip such men of his remaining brigades as require it. In case any surplus remains, it will be reported to these headquarters that it may be turned over to some other division. III. The object of this order is to retain as many equipped and mounted men with this army as there are at present, including the Third Brigade, by mounting others before that command leaves. This requirement will be observed in the execution of this order. IV. The batteries of horse artillery belonging to the Second Brigade (Tidball's), serving with corps, will be replaced by batteries from the First (or Robertson's) Brigade, after which Captain Tidball will report with his brigade to Brigadier-General Tyler, commanding Artillery Reserve. V. To equalize the number of batteries in the brigades, the Ninth Michigan Battery is transferred to the Second Brigade Horse Artillery. You will embark your command on transports for New York, and, on arrival at Governor's Island, will report to General Canby. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, August 15, 1863—6.10 p. m. Brigadier-General AYRES, Alexandria, Va.: It is expected that you will immediately embark your command on such transports as may be furnished by the Quartermaster's Department. There must be no delay. Hon. E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War: H. W. HALLECK, Longstreet (30,000 strong) and Fitz. Lee (10,000 strong) passed through Warrenton Saturday morning to re-enforce Early. Reliable. A larger force supposed to be following: SAML. C. MEANS. Col. C. R. LoWELL, Jr., Commanding Cavalry: WASHINGTON, August 15, 1863. It is reported on authority which appears reliable that White is in the vicinity of Dranesville with a body of some 350 men. Can you make any expedition in that vicinity with sufficient force to attack if you succeed in finding the party? Captain Means, Independent Rangers, stationed at Point of Rocks, says he knows all the country from Dranesville to Aldie, and wishes to co-operate with you. Let me know when you can start, so that I can communicate with Means and appoint a rendezvous. Name some place at which [you?] can meet him and them. J. H. TAYLOR, Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, August 16, 1863-10.30 a. m. (Received 11 a. m.) Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief: The following regiments will proceed to Alexandria to-day under the command of Brig. Gen. T. H. Ruger, viz: Second Massachusetts, Third Wisconsin, Twenty-seventh Indiana, Fifth Ohio, Seventh Ohio, Twenty-ninth Ohio, Sixty-sixth Ohio, Fourth Ohio, Fourteenth Indiana, Fifth Michigan, One hundred and twenty-. sixth Ohio. Aggregate strength of these regiments is about 3,800. General Ruger has been directed to report to you by telegraph on arriving at Alexandria, for further instructions, and also by telegraph to the Quartermaster-General for transportation. The number of men already detached and who have left are as follows: August 14, regulars and Vermont brigade, under General Ayres, 4,000; August 15, regiments, 1,400*; August 16, Ruger's command, 3,800; making in all 9,200, which, when swollen by convalescents and men detached on extra duty (who will be sent as soon as possible), will make the aggregate force fully up to and over 10,000. I do not propose, without further orders, to send any more. I have sent you my best troops and some of my best officers. GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General, Commanding. HDQRS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, August 16, 1863-1 p. m. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief: It appears from later returns that the aggregate strength of the six regiments that left here yesterday for Alexandria was 1,800, instead of 1,400, as stated in my dispatch of this morning. Please correct my statement accordingly. GEO. G. MEADE, * See dispatch following. |