says he was repulsed in his attempts to carry the works around the city. A general battle it said was expected to come off the next day. I will send the paper by General Barnard.

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS, WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Numbers 215. Washington, June 21, 1864.

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VIII. The following assignment of officers of the Engineer Corps is hereby made, and they will report in person without delay-

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Captain F. Harwood, Lieutenant G. J. Lydecker, Lieutenant J. W. Cuyler, Lieutenant D. P. Heap, Lieutenant C. B. Phillips, Lieutenant J. T. Cantwell, Lieutenant V. Allen-to the commanding general Army of the Potomac.

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By order of the Secretary of War:

E. D. TOWNSEDND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES,

Numbers 40. City Point, Va., June 21, 1864.

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II. Brigadier General Thomas H. Neill, U. S. Volunteers, is hereby relieved from duty in the Sixth Corps, Army of the Potomac, and will report in person to Major General B. F. Butler, commanding Department of Virginia and North Carolina, for assignment to the Eighteenth Army Corps.

III. Brigadier General Thomas A. Rowley, U . S. Volunteers, havingreported for duty in pursuance of orders, and it being deemed unadvisable to place him on duty because of the feeling in the Army of the Potomac of distrust of his fitness to command troops in the field, he will, therefore, proceed to Washington, D. C., and report to the Adjutant-General of the Army for orders.

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By command of Lieutenant-General Grant:

T. S. BOWERS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CITY POINT, VA., June 21, 1864-1.30 p. m.

General INGALLS:

Two hundred sets of rail-twisters will go back by mail-boat this evening; 300 more to-morrow or next day. I have requested Ordnance Department to send bridge torpedoes. The only mode of blowing up a canal culvert or any masonry culvert is to barricade and tamp the culvert, putting sufficient powder in the center. As the quantity of powder needed is large and the time employed considerable, and as any railroad culvert can be bridged by a piece of timber, I do not think it will be worth while to undertake to blow up such culverts. Canal culverts, however, should, if possible, be blown up. Powder in barrels should be used with cannon fuse.

M. C. MEIGS,

Quartermaster-General.