HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE JAMES,
February 17, 1865.

Colonel BOWERS,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

I am in receipt of an order from army headquarters, by direction of General Grant, relieving detachments of the Fifteenth New York Engineers, serving with this army, and later a telegram of General Barnard's, saying that Captain Lubey's command will remain with me for the present. I represented to General Barnard this morning that I would require this detachment to man the four pontoon trains he ordered to prepare for the spring campaign, and hence his telegram, in ignorance, I presume, of the order issued from your headquarters. To carry out his orders in regard to pontoon trains it is necessary to have this detachment, and hence I ask for instructions as to which order I shall obey.

PETER S. MICHIE,

Brevet Major, U. S. Army, and Chief Engineer.

CITY POINT, VA., February 17, 1865.

Major P. S. MICHIE,

Chief Engineer, Army of the James:

It was supposed by the lieutenant-general that you would take care of your pontoons by details from the engineer regiment under your command. If it is impossible to do this, he will consent to your retaining the men of the Fifteenth New York Engineer. It is very desirable, however, that they be returned to their proper command.

By command of Lieutenant-General Grant:

T. S. BOWERS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE JAMES,
February 17, 1865. (Received 10.55 p. m.)

Lieutenant-Colonel BOWERS,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

I have only 565 engineers from duty in this army at Fort Monroe, New Berne, N. C., and Bermuda; 265 of these are one-year recruits that go out by November. Every day all but seventy or eighty are on detail, and there is not much work required at present. They have had no rest since May. I will not be able to do without the detachment, which I shall reserve exclusively for pontoon duty, if permitted.

PETER S. MICHIE,

Brevet Major, U. S. Army, and Chief Engineer.

OFFICE OF THE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL,

ARMIES OPERATING AGAINST RICHMOND,

City Point, February 17, 1865.

Lieutenant-Colonel MANNING,

Headquarters Army of the James:

We have some slight information that troops from the north of the Appomattox have moved through Petersburg to Hatcher's Run. Do