CITY POINT, VA., June 17, 1864-10 p.m.

Major-General MEADE,

Commanding Army of the Potomac:

Your note, brought by Captain Mason, just received. The news is good and I hope efforts in the morning will improve it. You have done right in suspending the order in part relieving Smith from your front, and you are authorized to suspend it all if you deem it advisable to do so. If Smith has been drawn out of the line, and not yet moved away, it will give you his whole force for an attack or support, as you may deem most advisable.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
OFFICE OF THE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL,

June 17, 1864-10 p.m.

[Major-General HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff:]

GENERAL: Ten prisoners from Twenty-sixth Virginia, Wise's brigade, taken by General Burnside at sundown, are in. They say quite a number were taken, their whole regiment at least, but they scattered and are coming in [in] small squads. Where these men lay they were not in view of Petersburg, there being woods between, and none of those I have yet seen had been to the rear to-day. It was reported yesterday and this a.m. that they had re-enforcements; another said re-enforcements were to come to-night; another, that it was Hill that was coming; but all the information is indefinite and resting on no fact. Some of the prisoners think there is nothing here but Beauregard's force, and mention, to support it, that they have been kept in the first line three days without relief; that they have seen and heard of no new commands, either from some of the men of the latter coming to the front to see what is going on, or from any mention being made of such new troops by any of their comrades who had passed to the rear. One of the men saw a negro this p.m. who brought his captain his dinner from Petersburg and the negro knew nothing of any new troops having come. I cannot learn of but one line of works in front of General Burnside. I shall try patiently through all the others as they come in.

Respectfully,

GEORGE H. SHARPE,

Colonel, &c.

JUNE 17, 1864-5.30 a.m.

A. H. CALDWELL,

Headquarters:

Send some wire to General Smith's headquarters of yesterday, to run a loop to General Neill. Have you heard anything of the City Point line? General Meade directs that not a moment be lost in establishing communication with General Grant's headquarters. Are you on the lookout for the office at City Point?

S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.