CAVALRY HEADQUARTERS,

April 3, 1865-1.45 p.m.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,

Commanding Armies of the United States:

GENERAL: Before receiving your dispatch I had anticipated the evacuation of Petersburg and had commenced moving west. My cavalry is nine miles beyond Namozine Creek, and is pressing the enemy's trains. I shall push on to the Danville railroad as rapidly as possible.

Very respectfully,

P. H. SHERIDAN,

Major-General, U. S. A., Commanding.

CAVALRY HEADQUARTERS,

Namozine Church, Va., April 3, 1865-4.10 p.m.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,

Commanding Armies of the United States:

GENERAL: At 11 a.m. the cavalry advance was three miles beyond Namozine Creek, on the main road, pushing forward. Up to that hour General Custer had captured 1 gun and 10 caissons. The resistance made by the enemy's rear guard was very feeble. The enemy threw their artillery ammunition on the sides of the road and into the woods and then set fire to the fences and woods through which the shells were strewn. At 1 p.m. our advance was at Deep Creek, on the direct road to Bevill's Bridge. We captured the enemy's rear guard, numbering between 200 and 300 men, with 1 battle-flag. Brevet Brigadier-General Wells' cavalry brigade was on the direct road to Amelia Court House, seven miles beyond Namozine Church. Prisoners report quite a force of the enemy's cavalry on this road. The roads are strewn with burning and broken-down caissons, ambulances, wagons, and debris of all descriptions. Up to this hour we have taken about 1,200 prisoners, mostly of A. P. Hill's corps, and all accounts report the woods filled with deserters and stragglers, principally of this corps. One of our men, recaptured, reports that not more than one in five of the rebels have arms in their hands.

P. H. SHERIDAN,

Major-General.

SUTHERLAND'S STATION, April 3, 1865.

Major-General SHERIDAN:

To-morrow General Ord will move forward by the Cox road; Meade by the River road; until after crossing Namozine Creek he will follow the road up the north side of the creek. The Second Creek, now north of the Appomattox, will return to the south side of the Bevill's Bridge. I will follow the Army of the Potomac to-morrow. Ord is on our left flank, without any cavalry to watch it. I wish you would order Mackenzie to meet him to-morrow at White Oak Church, or in that vicinity. Do you hear of any movement on the part of Johnston? I have heard from a variety of sources that he had been ordered up to unite with Lee. If you can get scouts through to Burkeville to ascertain what is there I wish you would do it.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

34 R R-VOL XLVI, PT III