Today in History:

158 Series I Volume XLII-III Serial 89 - Richmond-Fort Fisher Part III

Page 158 OPERATIONS IN SE.VA. AND N.C. Chapter LIV.

the direction of the Charles City road. Private Schermerhorn, Company G, Third New York Cavalry, deserted to the enemy yesterday, taking his horse but not his arms. He was not in possession of any intelligence which would be of any value to the enemy.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ROBT. M. WEST,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.


HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, October 11, 1864-11.30 a.m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

Nothing unusual has occurred on my lines during the past twenty-four hours beyond picket-firing and occasional interchange of artillery shots on the Jerusalem plank road. Deserters yesterday stated it was reported in their camps that Major-General Whiting, with 10,000 men from North Carolina, was at Stony Creek. I have directed General Gregg to send a reconnoitering party in that direction to endeavor to ascertain something positive about this.

GEO. G. MEADE,
Major-General, Commanding.


HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

OFFICE OF THE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL, October 11, 1864.

Major-General HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: Deserters from the Tenth Alabama, Colonel King's brigade (Wilcox's old), came into the lines of the Second Army Corps on the front of the Third Division about 10 o'clock last night. They locate all of Mahone's division as lying between the Jerusalem plank road and Weldon railroad. Three brigades, posted from their right to left, as follows, Wright's, Finegan's, and Wilcox's old, hold the entire line from the lead-works to the Jerusalem plank road. The other two brigades of the division, Mahone's old and Harris', are in reserve, camped about a quarter of a mile to the rear of the trenches. There has been no movement in their division since night before last, when an attack was expected and Mahone's old brigade re-enforced the division picket-line. Two conscript deserters from the Thirty-eight North Carolina, Scales' brigade, of Wilcox's division, came into the lines of the Fifth Army Corps last night. They can give no information other than that their brigade lies in the trenches from the Weldon railroad, near the lead-works (where it joins Wright's (Georgia) brigade, of Mahone's division), to Battery No. 45, about half a mile west of the railroad. The remainder of their division (or two brigades-McGowan and Lane) is farther to the right, on the Boydton plank road. Contrabands coming in from Sussex report a considerable force at Weldon, but indefinite as to numbers or organization. About 300 infantry at Nottoway bridge, and a battalion of infantry and cavalry at Stony Creek Station, and a battery of artillery.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNumbers C. BABCOCK.


Page 158 OPERATIONS IN SE.VA. AND N.C. Chapter LIV.