HEADQUARTERS,
Petersburg, January 17, 1865.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: The dispatch of General Hardee, of the 10th instant, relative to the 200 men of Colonel E. C. Anderson's cavalry regiment, has been received. I desire that Colonel Anderson, with all his men in Georgia, and all the men of Young's brigade in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, be ordered to join their division under General Butler upon its arrival in that department.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

[JANUARY 17, 1865. - For Hardee to Cooper, reporting operations, see Part I, p. 1068.]

CHARLESTON, January 17, 1865.

(Received 18th.)

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General:

Deserters from the enemy concur in stating that the force which crossed at Port Royal Ferry, and which is now [in] vicinity of Pocotaligo, consists of Fifteenth and Seventeenth Army Corps; also that their destination is Charleston. They add that this force brought few wagons and but little artillery with it, but that Sherman was to have marched about the same time from Savannah. No developments to-day.

W. J. HARDEE,

Lieutenant-General.

HEADQUARTERS HARRISON'S BRIGADE,
In the Field, Broxton's Bridge, January 17, 1865.

Captain R. W. B. ELLIOTT,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: Colonel Harrison directs me to inform you of the following disposition of the infantry portion of the force under his command: Colonel Daniel, with the Fifth Georgia Regulars, detachment First South Carolina Cavalry, dismounted, and the Third Georgia Reserves, holds the line from Broxton's Bridge to Dubois'Landing, including those two points. Lieutenant-Colonel Bacon, with the Thirty-second and Forty-seventh Georgia Regiments, regulars, holds Rivers' Bridge. Colonel Cumming, Fifth Georgia Reserves, holds Buford's Bridge with his regiment. Lieutenant-Colonel Neely, with the First Georgia Reserves, holds Morris' Ford.

These reserve troops have not yet reported, but will be put in the positions above mentioned as soon as they arrive. He desires to know if this disposition of the troops is approved by the major-general commanding. Colonel H. has gone to Buford's Bridge to examine it and the intermediate crossings. He will be back this evening.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. M. BLOUNT,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.