where to land your command so as not to attract attention. Let your command follow so that you can meet it before it reaches the city. I telegraph orders at once to General Gordon respecting your command.

By order of General Ord:

THEO. READ,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. CAVALRY DIVISION, ARMY OF THE JAMES,
Before Richmond, Va., March 19, 1865.

Colonel E. V. SUMNER,

Commanding Detachment First Regiment New York Mounted Rifles:

COLONEL: I have the honor to transmit, inclose herewith, copy of telegram just received from headquarters Army of the James, for your information:

You will cause such of your command as may come up the river to be land immediately, and the transportation to be ordered to report to Colonel Bradley, assistant quartermaster at City Point. You will report in person to General E. O. C. Ord, commanding Department of Virginia, early to-morrow morning. March 20, 1865.

By order of Colonel R. M. West, commanding division;

H. C. WHIPPLE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CITY POINT, VA., March 19, 1865.

Major General P. H. SHERIDAN,

Commanding Middle Military Division;

I have ordered steamers to White House to take your disabled horses and men back to Washington, the men to return to Winchester. You may dismount one brigade, giving the serviceable horses to dismounted men of the balance of the command, and send the brigade back with the broken-down horses, or you may send back broken-horses and men, keeping with you all your organizations, as you deem best. We will probably be able to give you 1,000 horses when you arrive here. The dismounted men who you expect to take with you had better come here by water. Whilst you remain at White House you can retain a dispatch-boat to run between there and Yorktown; Yorktown and City Point are in telegraphic communication. Start for this place as soon as you conveniently can, but let me know as early as possible when you will start. I will send cavalry and infantry to Chickahominy to meet you when you do start. Let me know whether you will wish to have them make Bottom's Bridge of Long Bridge, and whether you wish pontoons taken from here. When you start out from here you will be re-enforced with about 6,000 cavalry. I will also move out by the left at least 50,000 infantry and demonstrate on the enemy's right, and probably remain out. Your problem will be to destroy the South Side and Danville roads, and then either return to this army or go on to Sherman, as you may deem most practicable. I have a letter from Sherman of the 14th. At that time he had crossed the Cape Fear River at Fayetteville and would start the next day for Goldsborough. Schofield has possession of Kinston at that time, and the Richmond Whig of yesterday contains an extract from a Danville paper saying that he was in Goldsborough. After crossing the Dan River I believe