Third Corps are transferred to the Second Corps, preserving their badged and distinctive marks. The Third Division of the Third Corps is transferred permanently to the Sixth Corps. The three divisions now forming the First Corps are transferred to the Fifth Corps, preserving their badges and distinctive marks, and on joining the Fifth Corps they will be consolidated into two divisions.

The commanders of the divisions transferred to the Second, Fifth, and Sixth Corps will at once report to the commanders of those corps for instructions.

Brigadier General J. B. Carr will report to Major-General Hancock, commanding Second Corps, and Brigadier General H. Prince to Major-General Sedgwick, commanding Sixth Corps.

The chief of artillery will assign eight batteries each to the Second, Fifth, and Sixth Corps; these batteries to be taken from those now with those corps and with the First and Third Corps. The batteries with the several corps, in excess of the above allowance, will join the Artillery Reserve.

The consolidation of divisions called for in this order will be made by the corps commanders concerned, who are authorized to re-arrange the brigades of their respective commands in such manner as they may think best for the service.

The re-assignment of officers of the staff departments, consequent upon the reorganization of the army, will be made upon the nomination of the chiefs of the staff departments at these headquarters. Special instructions will be given hereafter with respect to the staff officers of the two corps temporarily broken up.

III. The major-general commanding avails himself of the occasion to say that, in view of the reduced strength of nearly all the regiments serving in this army, the temporary reduction of the number of army corps to three is a measure imperatively demanded by the best interests of the service, and that the reasons for attaching the First and Third Corps, for the time being, to other corps were in no respect founded upon any supposed inferiority of those corps to the other corps of this army. All the corps have equally proved their valor on many fields, and all have equal claims to the confidence of the Government and of the country. The First and Third Corps will retain their badges and distinctive marks, and the major-general commanding indulges the hope that the ranks of the army will be filled at an early day, so that those corps can again be reorganized.

By command of Major-General Meade:

S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

PONY MOUNTAIN, March 24, 1864-5. 40 p. m.

Captain NORTON:

All quiet. About 30 of the enemy still working at Stringfellow's Ford.

MCCLOSKEY.

THOROUGHFARE MOUNTAIN, March 24, 1864-7 p. m.

Captain NORTON:

The atmosphere has been much clearer this p. m. than on any preceding occasion. Saw nothing in Madison Court-House. Enemy