HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF RICHMOND,
July 2, 1863.

Major General D. H. HILL:

GENERAL: Brigadier General [G. W.] Custis Lee has been directed to assemble his troops as soon as possible, and march them to the points indicated in your note of this morning. To this end all the public offices and workshops in the city will be closed. Lee's force amounts to about 1, 600 men. No time will be lost in this movement, but the nature of the force is such that it will be slow work in getting them started. Colonel Rhett will relieve General Cooke on the New Bridge road.

General Winder is to send a force of 600 convalescents, under Colonel Walker, to relieve Colonel Hall and the Forty-sixth North Carolina, now at the Junction. The same train that takes Walker up will bring Hall down.

Your direction in regard to moving Wise (in case of a serious movement on Petersburg) shall be obeyed. It will be impossible for me to place pickets at the destroyed Federal bridges, as I have not the force at my disposal to do so. The engineer officers assure me that they are impassable.

Very respectfully,

ARNOLD ELZEY,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF RICHMOND,
July 2, 1863.

Major General D. H. HILL,

Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: Lieutenant-Colonel [C. E.] Lightfoot's command of light artillery are the only batteries for use on this side of New Bridge. It is necessary to have some long-range guns on the Mechanicsville and Meadow Bridge roads. This artillery was not assigned to General Cooke's brigade, but he was authorized to draw on it in case of need. The Plank and Deep Run roads are without artillery of any sort, and the other roads have only a section of the weakest caliber. I have to request that Lieutenant-Colonel Lightfoot and his artillery command report to Colonel Rhett as soon as possible.

Very respectfully,

ARNOLD ELZEY,

Major-General.

BOTTOM'S BRIDGE, July 2, 1863-11 p. m.

Honorable JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War:

The Yankees have been driven back to White House. What disposition has been made for the defenses of Hanover Junction? If a train is sent down to-night, I can send Cooke up to-morrow.

D. H. HILL,

Major-General.