GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Numbers 13.*
March 26, 1865.

The major-general commanding announces to the army the success of the operations of yesterday.

The enemy, with a temerity for which he has paid dearly, massed his forces and succeeded, through the reprehensible want of vigilance of the Third Brigade, First Division, Ninth Corps, in breaking through our lines, capturing Fort Stedman and Batteries 9,10, and 11.

The prompt measures taken by Major-General Parke, the firm bearing of the troops of the Ninth Corps in the adjacent portions of the line held by the enemy, and the conspicuous gallantry of the Third Division of this corps, for the first time under fire, together with the energy and skill displayed by Brigadier-General Hartranft, its leader, quickly repaired this disaster, and the enemy were driven from Fort Stedman and our lines, with heavy losses in killed and wounded, leaving in our hands 8 battle-flags and over 1,900 prisoners.

The enemy being driven from the front of the Ninth Corps, the offensive was assumed by the Sixth and Second Corps; the enemy by night was driven from his entrenched picket-line, and all his efforts to recover the same, which were particularly determined and persisted on the Second Corps front, were resisted and repulsed with heavy looses, leaving with the Sixth Corps over 400 prisoners and with the Second Corps 2 battle-flags and over 300 prisoners.

The troops of the Sixth Corps reported by Major-General Wright as engaged in these operations were Getty's division, Keifer's brigade, Seymour's division, and Hamblin's and Edwards' brigades, of Wheaton's division.

Of the Second Corps, Major-General Humphryes mentions Miles' and Mott's divisions and Smyth's brigade, of Hays' division, supported by Griffin's division, Fifth Corps.

The result of the day was the thorough defeat of the enemy's plans, the capture of his strongly entrenched picket-line, under the artillery fire of his main works, and the capture of 10 battle-flags and about 2,800 prisoners, a result on which the major-general commanding heartily congratulates the army.

Two lessons can be learned from these operations: One, that no fortified line, however strong, will protect an army from an intrepid and audacious enemy, unless vigilantly guarded; the other, that no disaster or misfortune is irreparable where energy and bravery are displayed in the determination to recover what is lost and to promptly assumed the offensive.

The major-general commanding trusts these lessons will not be lost on this army.

In conclusion, the major-general commanding desires to return his thanks to those commands of the army not specially mentioned in this order for the promptitude displayed by all in their movements to different part of the lines under the exigencies of the hour. In connection with this subject, the promptitude of Major-General Warren and of Brevet Major-General Hunt, chief of artillery, in the early part of the operations during the accidental absence of the major-general commanding, deserve commendation and thanks.

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General, Commanding.

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*This order after being partly distributed was suppressed. See correspondence between Meade, Parke, and other, March 27-28.

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