WASHINGTON, D. C., March 4, 1865. [Received 4 p.m.]

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,

City Point, Va.:

Two monitors have been ordered to James River some eight days since. If the river is very high perhaps we had better send off to hurry them up.

G. V. FOX,

Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

CITY POINT, VA., March 4, 1865-7 p.m.

Honorable G. V. FOX,

Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C.:

The James River is very high, and will continue so as long as the weather of the past week lasts. It would be well to have at once all the iron-clads that it is intended should come here.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., March 4, 1865-8.50 p.m.

Captain GLISSON, U. S. Navy, Washington, D. C.:

Senior Naval Officer, Hampton Roads:

Send off a steamer to Cape Fear River to bring the Montauk iron-clad to James River immediately, and let the same steamer go with great dispatch to Charleston to bring up two iron-clads from there; all for James River. Answer what steamer leaves and when.

GIDEON WELLES,

Secretary of the Navy.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, March 4, 1865-1 p.m.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT:

Sixteen deserters on the Sixth Corps front and two on the Second Corps front are all that are reported as coming in last night. No information of importance as yet received from them, from which I infer they have none to communicate, as they are examined at division and corps headquarters.

GEO. G. MEADE,
Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, March 4, 1865-1.25 p.m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

I forward dispatch* just received from General Davies, commanding cavalry. It would appear the reported departure of troops for North Carolina via Weldon railroad could not be correct or these men would have known of it.

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General, Commanding.

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*See p.829.

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