May 7, 1864.-At 6 a. m. General Hancock received the following dispatch from General Meade:

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
May 7, 1864-4.40 a. m.

Major-General HANCOCK,

Commanding Second Corps:

Your dispatch of the night is just received (4.30 a. m.). The major-general commanding directs me to say that he just directed General Sedgwick to keep General Getty's division in reserve to be sent to you or elsewhere as may be required. At present the position of General Getty is not known to him. In the event of pressing necessity you must call on General Burnside, which he or some part of your own line may afford.

A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

7 a. m, carried an order to General Birney to see that the rifle-pits on right of Orange plank road (along Brock road) are properly built with abatis in front and properly manned. 7.15 a. m., General Hancock received intelligence that there was no enemy for 1 mile along the Orange plank road and for one-half mile in front of Irish Brigade. 8.30 a. m., the following received from General Meade:

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
May 7, 1864-7.45 a. m.

Major-General HANCOCK,

Commanding Second Corps:

Burnside reports a movement of wagons during the night, and indications this morning that the enemy have left a portion of his front or are not in such force as they were yesterday. He is pushing out his skirmishers to feel them. You had better do the same along the plank road and also the Brock road as far as they can go. Have you any connection with our cavalry on the Brock road?

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General, Commanding.

General Hancock had ordered skirmishers forward as indicated in above dispatch at 7.30 a. m. 9.15 a. m., General Hancock informed General Meade that enemy was in breast-works 1 1/4 miles from our front on Orange plank road. 10.20 a. m., General Birney ordered to feel enemy's line. Sharp fighting on both Birney's and Gibbon's front, but little result. 6 p. m., General Birney's division moved in direction of Chancellorsville in accordance with orders received from headquarters Army of the Potomac, but returned to line of Second Corps almost immediately. 8 p. m., General Grant and Mead at General Hancock's headquarters, which are fixed on line of battle at intersection of Orange plank road and Brock road.

May 8, 1864.-In accordance with orders from General Meade, corps marched at 6 a. m. on Brock road; head of column reached Todd's Tavern at 9.20 a.m. Took position covering Brock, Catharpin, and Spotsylvania roads. 11.30, Colonel Miles' brigade, First Division, Second Corps, with Gregg's cavalry brigade, moved out on Catharpin road toward Corbin's Bridge. Enemy opened on head of Miles' column with artillery at 12.45 p. m., from heights on south side of Po River; Miles then about one-half mile from Corbin's Bridge and 1 1/2 miles from Todd's Tavern. Miles at once formed line of battle in edge of timber facing enemy; our artillery in the mean time replying to enemy's fire. 1.30 p. m., General Gibbon's division marched to support of General Warren in front of Spotsylvania Court-House. Orders given to remaining division commanders to throw up rifle-pits along entire line of battle, and to push pickets