Today in History:

1008 Series I Volume XLII-II Serial 88 - Richmond-Fort Fisher Part II

Page 1008 OPERATIONS IN SE. VA. AND N. C. Chapter LIV.

WASHINGTON, September 25, 1864-3.10 p. m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

City Point, Va.:

It is ascertained that the men returned from City Point were not sent from Alexandria, abut from New York, direct. The ;error resulted from the neglect of the officers of General Sheridan's command to make returns to the Adjutant-General's Office.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.


HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
September 25, 1864-11.30 a. m.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT:

In accordance with y our verbal order given yesterday the Tenth Army Corps was last night relieved by the two divisions of the Second Corps hitherto posted in the rear or held in reserve. As this change has given to the Second Corps, with an effective strength of less than 15,000 men, a line of over five miles to hold, I have deemed it proper to order the following changes of position: The Second Corps to hold the line from the Appomattox to Fort crawford on the Jerusalem plank road; the Ninth Corps to hold with two divisions from Fort Crawford to include Fort Howard, such portion of these two divisions as may not be required on this line to be held in reserve in the rear; the third division of the Ninth Corps to be held near the Avery house as a reserve to the Second corps; the Fifth corps to hold from Fort Howard round to the Gurley house; the present picket of the Fifth Corps to the rear to be maintained, they now extending to a line south from the Gurley house; from this point the cavalry to watch and picket the rear over to the James; garrisons and artillery to be assigned to the inclosed works on the front line; the rest of the troops to held ready for withdrawal and movement elsewhere.

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General, Commanding.

Major-General MEADE:

Has Gregg returned yet? I will have to send a cavalry commander to Sherman, and think of sending Gregg. At present, and to this time, there has not been an officer with the cavalry in the West who it was safe to trust, without infantry to guard them from danger. The rebels are equally bad off. With either Gregg, Torbert, or Wilson in command of Sherman's cavalry, they could travel over that Western country with impunity.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.


HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
September 25, 1864-12 m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

General Gregg has returned. In reference to your proposition to send him West, I have to call your attention to the fact that there is no other general of cavalry with this army but General Davies, one


Page 1008 OPERATIONS IN SE. VA. AND N. C. Chapter LIV.