FEBRUARY 5, 1865-11 p. m.

General GRIMES:

The enemy's cavalry have not passed beyond Dinwiddie Court-House. They advanced to that point and then retired. The general says you need not go up the road. He wishes you to remain where you are, or anywhere near, if your men can be made comfortable for the night; if they cannot be made comfortable, you will move down the Boydton plank road until you can get to some wood. If you move report your location when you halt.

Respectfully,

W. H. TAYLOR,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST ARMY CORPS,
February 5, 1865.

Colonel A. C. HASKELL,

Commanding Gary's Cavalry Brigade:

I beg leave to call your attention to the necessity of organizing a system of scouting. With our small numbers and long line to defend we can only hope to hold our own against the large force of the enemy be energy and promptness, and by the possession of immediate and accurate information of all his movements. We are obliged to rely for the most part on your scouts for such information. I would suggest that they be organized and put under charge of an officer who would appreciate the importance of his duties and spare no efforts to make his corps a useful one. It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of their position.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

O. LATROBE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS,
ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 3.
Richmond, Va., February 6, 1865.

I. The following act of Congress is published for the information of the Army:

"AN ACT to provide for the appointment of a General-in-Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States.

SECTION 1. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact that there shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, an officer, who shall be known and designated as General-in-Chief, who shall be ranking officer of the Army, and as such shall have command of the military forces of the Confederate States.

SEC. 2. That the act providing a staff for the general who may be assigned to duty at the seat of Government is hereby repealed and that the General-in-Chief, who may be appointed under the provisions of this act, shall have a staff not less than that now allowed a general in the field, to be assigned by the President or to be appointed by him, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Approved, January 23, 1865.

II. General Robert E. Lee, having been duly appointed General-in-Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States, will assume the duties thereof, and will be obeyed and respected accordingly.

III. General Orders, Numbers 23, of 1864, are hereby revoked.

By order:

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.