2. Chew's battery, McIntosh's battalion, Third Corps, will be consolidated with Griffin's battery, Breathed's battalion horse artillery, according to provisions of law for such cases provided.

3. Chamberlayne's battery, Owen's battalion, now with Third Corps, will be detached from its present connection and assigned in place of Chew's to McIntosh's battalion.

4. Dickenson's and Walker's batteries, Owen's battalion, will also be detached from its present connection and constituted with Douthat's, just arrived from Western Virginia, into another battalion to serve stationary guns below Richmond and under command of Lieutenant-Colonel King.

5. Lieutenant-Colonel Owen will be assigned as second field officer to McIntosh's battalion and the staff officers of Owen's battalion will be assigned either to Lieutenant-Colonel King's battalion or to other service, as may be found most just and expedient.

6. Nelson's, Braxton's, and Cutshaw's battalions, Second Corps, will be re-equipped for the field under command of Colonel Thomas H. Carter as soon as possible.

W. N. PENDLETON,

Chief of Artillery.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST ARMY CORPS, March 20, 1865. [Received 6.30 p.m.]

Honorable J. C. BRECKINRIDGE,
Secretary of War:

The troops will be on the Williamsburg road ready for you at 2 p.m. to-morrow.

J. LONGSTREET,

Lieutenant-General.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST ARMY CORPS, March 20, 1865.

General R. E. LEE,
Commanding:

GENERAL: I presume that the enemy's next move will be to raid against the Danville railroad, and think that it would be well if we begin at once to make our arrangements to meet it. In order that we may get the troops that may be necessary to meet such a move I would suggest that we collect all the dismounted men of Generals Fitz Lee, Rosser, and Lomax and put them behind our strongest lines, and draw out a corps of infantry and hold it in readiness for the raid. General W. H. F. Lee's dismounts might also be used behind our works to great advantage, with a cavalry force of 2,000 or 3,000 men to hold the enemy in check. I think that our infantry may be able to overtake the raiding column. If we can get a large cavalry force I think that we would surely be able to destroy the raiding force.

I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. LONGSTREET,

Lieutenant-General.

84 R R-VOL XLVI, PT III