oblique embrasure. The men are afraid of splinters from a cannon-ball - and I think justly so - with the wood and iron mantlets. Moreover, the blast of a light 12-pounder has already rendered unserviceable one of the iron mantlets of this pattern. I therefore entirely agree with yourself and General Hunt in thinking that only rope should be ordered. I think the dimensions cannot be improved. As to number required, my train proper, which is entirely distinct from my present guns, consists of forty-six guns requiring mantlets, and ten 8-inch siege howitzers which I think can hardly be used with them. I have here seventeen rope mantlets and twenty-three wood and iron, one of the latter unserviceable. As they are very liable to be destroyed, and moreover are quite useful even for light guns when sharpshooters are as troublesome as they have been here at times (I have had two men killed besides some wounded in my own regiment by them already), I think that about 100 could be safely ordered (besides those I have on hand). They should be made of tarred rope, like the of ones. The only difficulty is transportation - to load a wagon, with our roads. However, they have been of great service to me in these batteries.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

HENRY L. ABBOT,

Colonel First Connecticut Artillery.

HEADQUARTERS SIEGE ARTILLERY, June 19, 1864 - 1.30 a. m.

Colonel SHAFFER,
Chief of Staff:

My train is afloat at Washington Arsenal in charge of Captain S. P. Hatfield, First Connecticut Artillery. General Hunt knows all details of its composition.

H. L. ABBOT,

Colonel First Connecticut Artillery.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF VA. AND N. CAROLINA,

No.--. In the Field, June 19, 1864.

The Eighteenth Army Corps, commanded by Major General William F. Smith, will be organized as follows:

First Division, under command of ---- ----, will consist of the following brigades and regiments: First Brigade - Eighty-first New York Volunteers, Ninety-eighth New York Volunteers, Ninety-sixth New York Volunteers, One hundred and thirty-ninth New York Volunteers. Second Brigade - Tenth New Hampshire Volunteers, Thirteenth New Hampshire Volunteers, Eighth Connecticut Volunteers, One hundred and eighteenth New York Volunteers. Third Brigade -- Twenty-first Connecticut Volunteers, Ninety-second New York Volunteers, Fifty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, One hundred and eighty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Fortieth Massachusetts Volunteers.

The Second Division, under command of Brigadier General John h. Martindale, will be organized as follows: First Brigade - Ninth New Jersey Volunteers, Eighty-ninth New York Volunteers, Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Twenty-third Massachusetts Volunteers, Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers, Twenty-seventh Massachusetts Volunteers, Fifth Maryland Veteran Volunteers. Second Brigade - Eleventh Con-