CITY POINT, VA., March 15, 1865.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

The Richmond papers of to-day are received, but they contain no news of interest. The following paragraph from the Examiner is all that is worth telegraphing:

This is once more almost a blank. Grant has been moving some troops from his left, and sending them again across the James River. This movement is connected with other operations, of which the War Department is fully informed and which it has taken ample measures to meet.*

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

CITY POINT, VA., March 14, 1865-3 p.m.

Honorable W. H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State, Washington:

Earl Russell's communication to Mason, Slidell, and Mann was received the evening of the 12th, forwarded to General Lee on the 13th, and his acknowledgment of the receipt of it received on the 14th. I reported the whole to the Secretary of War and sent him a copy of my letter to General Lee.

U. S. GRAN,

Lieutenant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, D. C., March 15, 1865-12 m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

City Point:

The balance of the [Forty-fifth] U. S. Colored Regiment was sent to the front before the receipt of your telegram.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
March 15, 1865-10.30 a.m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

Fifty deserters yesterday. Fifteen are reported this morning by corps commanders. No news beyond the relieve of Johnson's (Bushrod) division in front of Ninth Corps, of Gordon's old division of Gordon's corps. The idea seems to be that Johnson is to exchange places with Gordon, but no evidence of this has yet been obtained.

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
March 15, 1865-8.15 p.m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

A deserter from the enemy this morning states that the two men reported by me as yesterday riding into the enemy's lines were our

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*For portion here omitted relating to operations in the Carolinas, see Vol. XLVII.

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