quarters to Banks' Ford, splicing on to the Fifth Corps line about 1 mile from camp, and running out 7 miles of wire, the station being opened that night. Lieutenant Jerome relieved me at the station in the evening, and I returned to camp. The same time a line was run out by Lieutenant Wilson down the river to Tyler's Hill, via Phillips house, which station I opened the next morning. For the further movement of the line on the left, under Lieutenant Wilson, I respectfully refer you to his (Lieutenant Wilson's) report.

The 28th of April, the Belle Plain line was broken up and sent to Lieutenant Jerome, to extend his line to United States Ford, but, not having time to repair it, a great deal of trouble was occasioned by leakage, especially during a heavy rain, which would have been entirely avoided if it had been repaired.

On the 29th of April, the Fifth Corps line was taken up, and the line from Banks' Ford extended to United States Ford, 9 miles distant, but communication was not opened until 9 p. m., owing to the lightning, during a heavy storm that day, entering the instrument at United States Ford and discharging the magnetism in the vibrating magnet that moves the needle, which I soon, however, re-charged, and the station worked well. That night received orders to turn over the line to the military telegraph line, the order probably arising from the operators at United States Ford sending messages with the time they were written, and not the time they were received by that station, although there were several hours' difference in the time.

The military telegraph operators had considerable difficulty in working the line, and when it rained hard they could hardly send a message, on account of the leaks on the line.

The morning of the 30th, returned to headquarters, and on Saturday, 2nd May, having received 15 miles of new wire on the 1st, started with 10 miles of wire to the Banks' Ford station, and run a line from there to the river, 1 1/4 miles, and opened a station there; Lieutenant Jerome arriving there in the morning. I then received orders from the commanding general, through Captain Fisher, to run a line from United States Ford to Chancellorsville, and sent Lieutenant Jerome with - miles of wire to put up the line, but was soon ordered to keep Lieutenant Jerome at Banks' Ford, and to go to the United States Ford myself, which I did, arriving there about 4.30 p. m., and found the line run out about 1 1/2 miles from the brick house at United States Ford. Lieutenant Jerome and myself went to find headquarters, but when near there the Eleventh Corps broke and ran down the road the line was coming up, and, not knowing how far they were up, I went back to get the wagons out of the road, as teams, & c., were moving down on a full gallop. The instrument was got out and tried, but no communication, as the teams that were hurrying down knocked down the poles, and when they stalled on the road trees were cut down in which the wire was placed, thus breaking it. I then moved down the road for the purpose of relaying the wire, which could not be done until about 3 a. m. The next morning, the 3rd May, as the road was very bad and full of teams and stragglers, the line was opened about 8.30 a. m. of the 3rd, 1 mile from headquarters. I was told to remain there. The station worked well all the time we were there, sending seventy messages and receiving about double that number. The afternoon of the 5th instant, had a heavy thunder-storm, the lightning striking the wire and affecting one of the instruments at the old headquarters the same way that it did at United States Ford; otherwise everything worked well. That night, moved down one-half mile to open station, as the army was falling back, but the line was again broken by the troops as they fell back. We re