Today in History:

960 Series I Volume XXXVI-II Serial 68 - Wilderness-Cold Harbor Part II

Page 960 OPERATIONS IN SE. VA. AND N.C. Chapter XLVIII.


SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF N. C. AND S. VA., No. 3. Weldon, N. C., May 5, 1864.

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IV. General D. H. Hill is hereby announced as volunteer aide-de-camp on the staff of the commanding general.

V. General D. H. Hill, volunteer aide-de-camp to the commanding general, will proceed at once to Petersburg, Va., and confer with Major-General Pickett, commanding in that quarter, as to present and future operations. General Hill is especially charged with communicating to Major-General Pickett the views of the commanding general.

VI. Colonel H. P. Jones, artillery, Provisional Army, C. S., having reported to these headquarters in pursuance of paragraph XIII, Special Orders, No. 116, headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, is hereby assigned to the command of the Washington and Read's battalions of light artillery on detached duty from Army of Northern Virginia, and serving in this department.

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By command of General Beauregard:

JNO. M. OTEY,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

RICHMOND, VA., May 5, 1864.

Colonel M. W. GARY,

Hampton Legion, Columbia, S. C.:

Let your command come at once by railroad, debark at Greensborough, march to Danville, thence to Richmond by railroad. The horses with as many saddles as possible send in charge of detachments by highway. You can serve here and are much needed as infantry until you can be equipped; move your men without delay.

SAML. W. MELTON,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Asst. Adjt. General


HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
Via Orange Court-House, May 6, 1864-8 p.m. (Received Richmond, 4.45 p.m. 7th.)

SECRETARY OF WAR:

Early this morning as the division of General Hill, engaged yesterday, were being relieved, the enemy advanced and created some confusion. The ground lost was recovered as soon as the fresh troops got into position and the enemy driven back to his original line. Afterward we turned the left of his front line and drove it from the field, leaving a large number of dead and wounded in our hands, among them General Wadsworth. A subsequent attack forced the enemy into his intrenched lines on the Brock road, extending from Wilderness Tavern, on the right, to Trigg's Mill. Every advance on his part, thanks to a merciful God, has been repulsed. Our loss in killed is not large, but we have many wounded; most of them slightly, artillery being little used on either side. I grieve to announce that Lieutenant-General Longstreet was severely wounded and General Jenkins killed. General Pegram was badly wounded yesterday. General Stafford, it is hoped, will recover.*

R. E. LEE.

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*See Butler to Stanton, p.561.

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Page 960 OPERATIONS IN SE. VA. AND N.C. Chapter XLVIII.