commanding Fifth Corps. At 5.47 p. m. he was notified by telegraph that General Meade designated the Sixth and Seventh Wisconsin as the regiments to be left behind. I was surprised to learn their commanding officers were without orders to report, and instructed them immediately on receipt of your dispatch.

GEO. D. RUGGLES,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS,
February 12, 1865.

Major-General WEBB,

Chief of Staff:

No changes have been made in position of my troops since last report. The batteries and slashing have progressed more slowly than I anticipated. Two deserters from Cooke's brigade, Heth's division, came into our lines last night.

A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Major-General.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Numbers 3.
February 12, 1865.

The major-general commanding desires to express to the officers and men engaged in the recent operation the satisfaction he has felt at the prompt, skillful, and spirited manner in which every duty imposed upon them was performed. While all did their duty, seem were favored by fortune in being placed at the points against which the enemy's efforts were concentrated, and were thus afforded the opportunity of displaying conspicuously their soldierly qualities. Among those favored were Brigadier-General Smyth, commanding Second Division; Brevet Brigadier-General McAllister, commanding Third Brigade, Third Division; and Colonel Mathew Murphy, commanding Second Brigade, Second Division. The enemy concentrated a powerful force, composed of parts of two corps, Hill's and Gordon's, on the right of Smyth (Murphy's brigade and the artillery), and in front of Mcallister, and made a determined effort to break our line. They were skillfully and gallantry met, and repulsed with severe loss to them and slight to us. The commanding general accepts this first operations of the Second Corps under his orders as an earnest of what is to follow.

By order of Major-General Humphreys:

SEPTIMUS CARNCROSS,

Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS,

February 12, 1865.

Division commanders will at once take measures to place two lines of abatis along their respective fronts, the first 50 and the second 100 yards of front of their breast-works. A competent officer, or the engineer officer of each division, will be detailed to superintend the work.