place. I have now a continuous entrenched line from my right across Griffin's front, and along the plank road nearly down the Gravelly Run. If General Humphreys can take charge of Griffin's front, about 500 yards west of plank road, with the return down it, I can take my corps and block the White Oak road.

At about 4.30 p. m. the enemy made an advance against General Griffin's skirmishers, and forced them back on Griffing's left; but his attack was not made in much force, and was quickly driven back, and we took a few prisoners. This was probably a mere reconnaissance by the enemy to ascertain our position. The prisoners taken were perfectly raw, drafted men from North Carolina.

At 4.50 p. m. I sent the following to General Webb:

A portion of Wilcox's division made a demonstration against Griffing about twenty minutes ago, and were easily driven back in to their lines. We took a few prisoners-broken-down men lately forced in to the service. They don't know much, but think Johns's division moved to their right when they came down this morning. General Heth is here, but they do not think this division is. They think Heth commands the corps, and Hill all the defenses south of the James.

When the above was received by General Webb, he, at 7.20 p. m., sent the following, which I received at 7.30 p. m.:

Your dispatch dated 5 p. m. had just been received. Please find out and telegraph, if possible, what brigades of Wilcox's are in your front. What grounds have those men for thinking more of his brigades than their own are there?

At 8.15, having obtained full information, I sent the following in answer to the above:

General Griggin has taken no prisoners to-day, except from Scales' brigade. One of them, Thirty-fourth North Carolina, states his brigade was led by Major Norman [Norment]. There are four brigades in Wilcox's division, commanded by General Scales, Colonels Howe [Hyman], Gallaway, and Stowe. They left the works in front of our signal toward at 3 o'clock this morning. Thinks all the brigades of his division were present to-day, but is not sure. General Wilcox is absent on leave.

I have quoted the last two dispatches out of the order of time, so that they may all appear here together, relating to the same subject. While still with General Griffin's division, I, at about 5.30 p. m., received the following copy of a dispatch from Lieutenant-General Grant to General Meade; the hour it was written not stated:

GRAVELLY CREEK, March 30, 1865.

Major-General MEADE:

General Merritt met the enemy's cavalry at J. Boisseau's and drove him on the right and left roads, and pushed on himself, driving the enemy, and now occupies the White Oak road at Vie Forks, and also where the right-hand branch intersects it. Merritt lost 150 men wounded.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

Having given General Griffin instructions to endeavor to find out everything possible in his front, and to make a dash with his skirmishers and their supports, and try to develop any weak points of the enemy, so that we might be prepared for any order during the night ot make a grand assault at daybreak, I set out personally to visit the advance position of General Ayres in the daylight that yet remained. I found that he had been unable with propriety to move his artillery and headquarters farther than the swampy branch of Gravelly Run, as this stream was flooded and difficult to cross; that the ground was very soft and muddy, and the road along which his advance was made was nearly all the way through woods, affording but little chance for observation; that his picket-line was advanced nearly up to the White Oak road;