turn your position do not hesitate to take out nearly every man to meet such attack. The enemy, in such case, would be apt to leave nothing in his works but a weak line intended only to hold it, and ours could in turn be held by a skirmish line. With a reasonable amount of artillery and one infantryman to six feet I am confident either party could hold their lines against a direct attack of the other. U. S. GRANT, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Lieutenant-General GRANT: I send this dispatch that you may know the condition of Ord's corps. He seems to think only two divisions can be sent, and suggests the other two being retained to sustain Burnside. I had ordered Ord to relieve Hancock's people, and Hancock to go on the raid, but there seem to be difficulty and objections all around, with both infantry and cavalry. General MEADE: HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY COPPS, I can manage to get Ames' division ready, also Turner's, by hard work, in time to start on raid; but Carr's, composed of the colored troops, and Stannard's cannot be taken from General Burnside's trenches till he is ready. I would suggest that before our force here is weakened General Burnside's casualties be known; I think his loss was very heavy. I cannot now ride from piles; will be better in a day or two. ORD. Major-General MEADE, Commanding, &c.: CITY POINT, VA., July 30, 1864. It is almost certain that none of the enemy's force recrossed the James until since 2 p. m. to-day, and but two or three regiments then. It is nearly as much of an object to draw them back to this side as it is to cut the road, that I want the expedition to go out. I am very much afraid Lee will send an army corps to re-enforce Early, who, I understand from a dispatch of last night, had driven Averell out of Hagerstown toward Greencastle. Since writing the above I have information from signal station on the James that the enemy are now crossing in a continuous stream. You may, therefore, suspend the order for movement down the railroad. We may get an attack from the enemy tomorrow evening or next day morning, and want to be prepared for it. U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Lieutenant-General GRANT: Your telegram suspending raid received. I am of your opinion that we may now expect the enemy to assume the offensive, which I think will be by sending a movable column to turn our left and rear. I have directed Sheridan to take post to cover our left and rear. Ord will resume to-night his former position and Hancock his, having one division on the left rear of our line, the other two in reserve. GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Lieutenant-General GRANT: Can you not send General Weitzel and Lieutenant-Colonel Comstock to confer with Major Duane as to the best defensive line to be occupied from the Appomattox to the Jerusalem plank road, and decide on the works to be erected? GEO. G. MEADE, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Lieutenant-General GRANT: Ord reports to me there are many of our dead and wounded lying between our lines and the enemy's line. Though not officially reported, I have reason to believe the enemy got possession of their line, includ ing the crater, soon after you left, taking, I fear, a number of prisoners, including Brigadier-General Bartlett. Do you think it worth while to ask for a flag to-morrow to remove our dead and wounded? Ord says there are a number of the enemy whom they cannot get off, and perhaps they would be more amiable than Beauregard was the last time I applied. Major-General MEADE: GEO. G. MEADE, CITY POINT, July 30, 1864. You may exercise your pleasure about asking a truce to collect the dead and wounded. I leave in the course of an hour or two for Fort Monroe; will be back to-morrow night. U. S. GRANT, CITY POINT, VA., July 30, 1864. Major-General MEADE, Commanding, &c.: (Received 10.30 p. m.) The enemy have commenced crossing the Potomac at the different fords above Harper's Ferry. Unless re-enforcements are sent from Lee's army, I think we have the greatest abundance of infantry and artillery there, but no cavalry to depend on. Order one division of Sheridan's cavalry to proceed at once to City Point to embark for Washington. They need not take their transportation nor artillery with them until the cavalry is all embarked. U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Lieutenant-General GRANT: Orders in relation to cavalry received and transmitted to General Sheridan. GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General. CITY POINT, VA., July 30, 1864. Major-General MEADE, Commanding, &c.: Get all the heavy artillery in the lines about Petersourg moved back to City Point as early as possible. It is by no means improbable the necessity will arise for sending two more corps there. U. S. GRANT, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Lieutenant-General GRANT: July 30, 1864—10.45 p. m. Do you mean City Point or Broadway, where it came from, for the siege artillery and mortars to go? GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General MEADE: JULY 30, 1864–11,15 p. m. General Grant left an hour ago for Fort Monroe. I presume he did not think of Broadway Landing when he wrote his dispatch. The artil lery can be loaded on boats at City Point easier than at Broadway, but Colonel Abbot is at the latter place and would take charge of it. Please notify General Ord of the point you may determine as best in order that he may send his to the same place. Respectfully, Lieutenant-General GRANT: T. S. BOWERS, Assistant Adjutant-General. JULY 30, 1864-11.25 p. m. General Hunt desires to know whether your order includes the siege guns on Ord's front and along the Appomattox River. I presume it does, but desire positive instructions. 41 R R-VOL XL, PT III GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General. Major-General MEADE: JULY 30, 1864–11.30 p. m. The only answer I am able to make to your dispatch of 11.25 is to give you following dispatch from General Grant to General Butler: Direct General Ord to send to this place his heavy artillery, or such of it as can be dispensed with and that cannot be rapidly moved in case of necessity. General Grant will return here about 4 o'clock to-morrow evening. T. S. BOWERS, Assistant Adjutant-General. CITY POINT, VA., July 30, 1864—12 p. m. Brig. Gen. M. C. MEIGS, Please order all available transports to this place suitable for the transportation of cavalry and infantry, not otherwise employed. RUFUS INGALLS, Brigadier-General and Chief Quartermaster. CITY POINT, July 30, 186-4. General PATRICK: I am working hard to get all the prisoners here ready to forward tomorrow morning. Can the prisoners received at headquarters Army of the Potomac be here in the morning? If so, we will have the arrangements perfected. Among those examined, Thomas Powell, Thirty-fourth North Carolina, Scales' brigade, claims to be a deserter; says he swam the river night before last, leaving his brigade near Swift Creek. He says that about a month ago, then being employed at Wilmington, N. C., he knows that an expedition consisting of three steamers and 1,600 men, with 30,000 stand of arms, left Wilmington for the purpose of liberating the rebel prisoners at Point Lookout. I look upon the man with suspicion on account of some great improbabilities in his story, which I think is known to General Butler, as the man came from him; I will mention it to General Grant. For General Humphreys' information I add that the Twentieth South Carolina Regiment, lately come from the south, was put into Kershaw's old brigade, and at Cold Harbor was commanded by Lawrence M. Keitt, who was killed there. Respectfully, GEORGE H. SHARPE, Colonel, &c. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Colonel SHARPE, July 30, 1864. The engagement has ended. There is no necessity for your returning here. Nothing gained except 200 prisoners from Evans' brigade. J. MCENTEE, Capt. B. F. FISHER: PLANK ROAD SIGNAL STATION, July 30, 1861—5 a. m. There are no tents or the sign of any force on the right of the enemy's line near lead-works. The two batteries directly in front of station which opened heavily this morning have ceased firing. A large building is burning in the city. I have seen no movement of the enemy's troops. J. B. DUFF, Lieutenant and Signal Officer. Captain FISHER: HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, July 30, 1864. The negroes in this last charge captured a brigade and four stand of colors. CLARK. PLANK ROAD SIGNAL STATION, Captain FISHER: The enemy's infantry has been passing to our right for twenty minutes. First noticed them at a point due west of the station, marching in rear of their line. They came out in plain view at a point northwest from station. The column was at least a strong brigade. All the camps within quarter of a mile of lead-works have been broken up. The largest visible from station has just been broken up, and the troops moved to our right. [Indorsement.] J. B. DUFF, Copy to Major-General Warren, commanding Fifth Corps, for his information. A. A. H., Major-General and Chief of Staff. JULY 30, 1864-9 a. m. Captain FISHER: The enemy are wholly concealed along the line in view of this station. Not one has been seen. Only three guns and those in redoubt at Gregory's house reply to us. I. S. LYON, Lieutenant and Signal Officer. (Same to General Warren.) |