Today in History:

480 Series I Volume XL-II Serial 81 - Richmond, Petersburg Part II

Page 480 OPERATIONS IN SE. VA. AND N. C. Chapter LII.


HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, OFFICE OF CHIEF QUARTERMASTER, City Point, Va., June 28, 1864.

Brigadier General M. C. MEIGS,
Quartermaster-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

The artillery of General Butler's army and the horse brigade of artillery attached to the Army of the Potomac require 500 artillery horses to refit the batteries. Please order that number of Captain E. J. Strang, assistant quartermaster, at this depot. It is hoped that no more will be required for some weeks. Sheridan has many unserviceable cavalry horses to be shipped to the Giesborough depot. He will consequently require many fresh serviceable horses. I think he will want 4,000 to be furnished as rapidly as transportation can be conveniently provided.

RUFUS INGALLS,

Brigadier-General and Chief Quartermaster.


HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, OFFICE OF PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL, June 28, 1864-12 m.

Major-General HUMPHREYS,
Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: Having sent for the negro from whom the information communicated this a. m. was had, I learn that he came in from Wyatt's place Sunday evening, and was retained as a servant. He says he is quite sure what he saw last night was rebel infantry, and that none had been near there before since a week ago to-day.

Respectfully,

GEORGE H. SHARPE,

Colonel, &c.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. SECOND DIV., 2nd ARMY CORPS,


Numbers 51.
Near Petersburg, Va., June 28, 1864.

The result of the enemy's attack upon our position on the 22nd instant is a source of great mortification to the major-general commanding the division, as it is the first occasion in which the division has failed to sustain its deservedly high reputation for courage and discipline since he assumed command of it. The disgraceful conduct of the Second Brigade, and a portion of the First, lost McKnight's battery, and was not to be expected from troops which gained such high reputation at Gettysburg, and throughout this campaign. One good brigade or regimental commander could have saved this loss of reputation by making a simple disposition for an attack on the left. Brigade commanders will at once make investigation, and report the names of the officers in the Second Brigade who first gave the order to retreat, and the names of the regimental commanders in the First Brigade who surrendered their regiments without resistance, with a view to bringing them to justice.

By command of Major-General Gibbon:

JOHN M. NORVELL,

Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.


Page 480 OPERATIONS IN SE. VA. AND N. C. Chapter LII.