HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General HUMPHREYS: Does the order with regard to artillery firing apply also to mortar GEO. G. MEADE, Are you not coming over? General Grant is here. General MEADE: HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, July 29, 1864. General Ferrero has a dispatch from the War Department that he has been confirmed and his place is with the army. Can I put him in command of his colored division? He is here. A. E. BURNSIDE, Major-General. General BURNSIDE: HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, In answer to your dispatch respecting General Ferrero, I am instructed by the commanding general to say that no official information of General Ferrero's reappointment has been received here. When such information is received General Ferrero will be ordered to report to you, and you can assign him as you think best; but in case you then assign him to the command of the colored troops it will be necessary for you also to assign General White to a command in your corps. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. 39 R R-VOL XL, PT III General BURNSIDE: assignment to duty. JULY 29, 1864-7 p. m. Brigadier-General Ferrero has been ordered to report to you for S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General BURNSIDE, Commanding Ninth Corps: July 29, 1864—8 p. m. Lieutenant Benyaurd has been detailed to report to you. I think he is now at your headquarters. If he should return without seeing you, at what hour do you desire him to report? G. H. MENDELL, Chief Engineer. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General BURNSIDE, Commanding Ninth Corps: A dispatch* from General Ord refers to the late hour at which his troops will relieve yours in the trenches. The commanding general has informed General Örd that it is not necessary for you to wait for your troops to be relieved in the trenches by General Ord's, before forming them for the assault. They should be formed for the assault at the hour you deem best without any reference to General Ord's troops, who will enter the vacated trenches as soon as they can. A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Major-General BURNSIDE, Commanding Ninth Corps: The commanding general wishes to know if that artillery firing is in your front? If so, what it is directed against? A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, July 29, 1864. Major-General HUMPHREYS: It is the mortar firing of the enemy in our front. July 29, 1861. HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, Major-General BURNSIDE, Commanding Ninth Corps: GENERAL: Major-General Warren directs me to inclose to you the accompanying copy* of his order for to-morrow, and to express to you his thanks for your order of operations just received. I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,, FRED. T. LOCKE, Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Camp near Petersburg, Va., July 28 [29], 1864. Lieutenant-Colonel RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General: SIR: I would respectfully state that the division officers of the trenches did not report to me till from 3 to 4 p. m. I would suggest the propriety of their reporting promptly at 10 a. m. By so doing they' can report to their division commanders at 11 o'clock, and 12 m. give their instructions to their brigade officers of trenches. The bells of the city of Petersburg were rung last night about 11 o'clock, being an alarm of fire supposed to be caused by our firing on the right of this army. Yesterday a house in front of Second Division and in the enemy's [lines] was fired and burned. About 150 yards in front of the picket-line, on right of First Division and near the railroad, the enemy are busy in throwing up earth-works, capped with sand-bags. The enemy can be seen at work on a line one-half a mile in rear of their front line-evidently a new line. Attention has been made to the sinks, which were improved during my tour, but there is still room for improvement. The sinks of First Division are in better police than those of other divisions. The bomb-proofs in Second Division are not completed. I inclose you a report of Lieut. Col. P. B. Stilson, division officer of trenches of Third Division, Ninth Army Corps, which was not reported till this moment. In all other respects our lines have been usually quiet. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. G. MÅRSHALL, Colonel Fourteenth New York Artillery, General of the Trenches. CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, July 29, 1864. I. The mine will be exploded to-morrow morning at 3.30 by Colonel Pleasants. General Potter will issue the necessary orders to the colonel for the explosion. II. General Ledlie will immediately upon the explosion of the mine. move his division forward as directed by verbal orders this day, and if possible crown the crest at the point known as Cemetery Hill, occupying, if possible, the cemetery. * See p. 607. III. General Willcox will move his division forward as soon as possi ble after General Ledlie has passed through the first line of the enemy's works, bearing off to the left so as to effectually protect the left flank of General Ledlie's column, and make a lodgment, if possible, on the Jerusalem plank road to the left of General Ledlie's division. IV. General Potter will move his division forward to the right of General Ledlie's division as soon as it is apparent that he will not interfere with the movements of General Willcox's division, and will as near as possible protect the right flank of General Ledlie from any attack on that quarter and establish a line on the crest of a ravine which seems to run from the Cemetery Hill nearly at right angles to the enemy's main line directly in our front. V. General Ferrero will move his division immediately after General Willcox's until he reaches our present advance line, where he will remain until the ground in his front is entirely cleared by the other three divisions, when he will move forward over the same ground that General Ledlie moved over; will pass through our line and, if possible, move down and occupy the village to the right, VI. The formations and movements of all these divisions, together with their places of rendezvous, will be as near as possible in accordance with the understanding during the personal interviews with the division commanders. The headquarters of the corps during the movement will be at the fourteen-gun battery in rear of the Taylor house. If further instructions are desired by division commanders they will please ask for them at once. By order of Major-General Burnside: GENERAL ORDERS, No. 34. W. H. HARRIS, Captain Ordnance, U. S. Army HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, Brig. Gen. Julius White is hereby assigned to duty, till further orders, as chief of staff of this corps. He will be obeyed and respected accordingly. By command of Major-General Burnside: LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, NINTH ARMY CORPS, Lieut. Col. LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General: COLONEL: It will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for me to form my division until that of General Ledlie shall have been formed. It will be impossible to form in or advance up the ravine on my right front, and it will not be in my opinion wise to form the attacking column of my division on this side of the railroad to the right of the covered way, as they would have too far to go, and it will be too bad ground to advance over rapidly. We will have to hold ourselves in readiness to make our formation as soon as we see what ground General Ledlie leaves to us, and adapt ourselves accordingly. General Ord's troops that are to occupy that portion of our line nearest the mine will, I pre sume, be put in the second line until after the explosion, when, as soon as the ground is cleared of our troops, they will at once move forward and occupy the advanced line vacated by my division. If General Ledlie leaves us room enough we can form across the covered way, but I doubt if he will be able to give us the space. All the ground between the foot of the hill and the rise beyond the ravine near the mine is bad. A regiment could be formed near the mouth of the mine, but the ground is not very good, and would probably be rather near the explosion. We shall probably have merely to follow General Ledlie until we get through the enemy's line, and then move up on his right. On an examination of the ground with a view to massing troops I find there is really less space than I had supposed, and unless the dispositions are commenced early and made with celerity I fear some confusion. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, ROBERT B. POTTER, Brigadier-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Brigadier-General WHITE, July 29, 1864—3 p. m. Commanding Temporary Division, Ninth Corps: The major-general commanding directs that as soon as it is dark you withdraw your command from the intrenchments you are now holding and move to the position of the Ninth Corps, and report to your corps commander. You will call in your pickets upon moving. You will at once report to Major-General Burnside, and receive his instructions as to the route you will take. Very respectfully. your obedient servant, Major-General HUMPHREYS, A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS, Chief of Staff, Army of the Potomac: I have ordered General Wilson to concentrate his division at Alley's house, on the plank road, the headquarters of the brigade doing picket duty on the left of the army. I will move to the same point as rapidly as I can, but as the infantry move in advance of me I cannot say when I will reach that point. Major-General SHERIDAN, P. H. SHERIDAN, JULY 29, 1864. (Received 9.10 p. m.) Commanding Cavalry Corps, Foster's Headquarters: It is desired that the railroad party be sent down to-night by either of the steamers Argo or Iolas, which are both up there now. Please inform me if this will be done, or the whereabouts of the party. Answer. RUFUS INGALLS, Brigadier-General and Chief Quartermaster. |