Vide, General Orders, No. 52, headquarters Army of the Potomac, May 15, 1863.* It should be remarked that the deficiencies of fresh vegetables was attributed by the subsistence department to want of transportation.

The rebel fleet came down from Richmond to the lower end of fresh vegetables was attributed by the subsistence department to want of transportation.

The rebel fleet came down from Richmond to the lower end of Dutch Gap Canal January 24, but after suffering the loss of one of its vessels, exploded by a shell from our batteries on the right bank of the James River, the fleet steamed back.

I had taken measures from the original occupancy of the depot to have the supplies of the medical purveyor kept afloat and ready for movement should any contingency require it.

Preparations for a military operation were made early in February, and the clearance of the field hospitals and commands of men unable to participate in it became necessary. Over 2,000 were sent down to the Depot Field Hospital at City Point, in thirty-six hours, chiefly at night, the railroad conducting its ordinary business in the meantime.

On the 5th of February the movement to Dabney's Mill and Hatcher's Run began. The Second Cavalry Division, moving by Reams' Station and Rowanty Creek, made a demonstration toward Dinwiddie Court-House, but returned back by Rowanty and the Boydton and Vaughan roads, and guarded the extreme left of our line, which had been advanced by the Second Corps and extended by the Fifth Corps, co-operating on the left of the Second. Two divisions of the Sixth Corps were in reserve and ready to support where required. A train of eighteen wagons were captured by the cavalry. I have no data by which to detail the operations, and will briefly state that the Second Corps and the Fifth were attacked by the enemy [troops of Hill, Gordon, Mahone and Pegram]. The Fifth Corps lost some of the ground over which it had advanced, but a permanent lodgment and advance was maintained, and the line [extended by two or three miles] permanently added on the left of the army.

The roads were corduroyed and the surface railroad extended, corresponding to the left. The wounded were not very far from their established division hospitals and trains, and, after receiving necessary surgical attention, were sent from Patrick's Station, very promptly, by rail to City Point.

The following number of wounded were admitted to field hospitals, afterward sent to Depot Field Hospital, from this movement, from February 5 to 9:

Second Fifth Sixth Second Total

Corps Corps Corps Division

Cavalry

In field 12 4 - 5 21

hospital of

corps: February

5, 1865

February 6, 1865 63 513 - 1 577

February 7, 1865 5 164 10 71 250

Total - - - - 848

In depot field - - - - 241

hospital at

City Point from

field

hospitals:

February 7, 1865

February 8, 1865 - - - - 441

February 9, 1865 - - - - 146

Total - - - - 828

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*See Vol. XXV, Part II, pp.491.

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