SPECIAL ORDERS, WAR DEPT. ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Numbers 275. Washington, August 19, 1864.

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13. First Lieutenant C. C. Chafee, Ordnance Department, is hereby relieved from the operation of Special Orders, Numbers 268, August 12, 1864, from this office, on account of ill health.

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36. By direction of the President, Byt. Major General Jonh G. Barnard, U. S. Volunteers, and chief engineer of the armies operating in Virginia, is hereby assigned to duty according to his brevet rank.

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By order of the Secretary of War:

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT,

August 19, 1864.

Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: The prisoners sent in this morning from the Fifth Corps are from Fry's and Davis's brigades, of Heth's division. They report that the whole of that division moved down the railroad yesterday and engaged the Fifth Corps. They all think that no other troops took their place in the trenches. There are prisoners from Colquitt's brigade, of Hoke's division, who say that that brigade is the only one of the division which moved down the railroad. There are also prisoners from Dearing's cavalry brigade. This brigade is composed of the Seventh Confederate Cavalry, the Fourth North Carolina, and the Sixty-second Georgia Regiments. They are in W. H. F. Lee's division. They have been doing picket duty from the right of their infantry line as far down as the Gurley house. Barringer's brigade were doing picket duty on their right, extending from the Gurley house down toward Lee's Mill. These two brigades, they think, are all the cavalry left in that vicinity. Prisoners al report that the enemy have no works between the lead works and the position now occupied by the Fift Corps. They heard of no troops coming from the north side of the James River up to the time they were captured. One deserter from the Sixth Virginia Infantry, Mahone's old brigade, reports that he went on picket night before last; that his brigade was then in the trenches, and that only two brigades of Mahone's division (Wright's and Perrin's) have left our front. He has not seen Harri's brigade lately, and thinks it possible that they may have gone away. Colquitt's brigade has been lying in reserve in the suburbs of Petersburg for some time past, and moved down the railroad about 10 o'clock yesterday morning.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. McENTEE,

Captain, &c.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT,

August 19, 1864.

Major-General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: Five prisoners of war, taken by the Fifth Corps about 3 o'clock this afternoon, have just arrived here. They are from Colquitt's