HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, June 25, 1864.

Colonel ABBOT,
Commanding Siege Train:

Can you suggest a good chief of artillery to me from the Army of the Potomac or elsewhere?

WM. F. SMITH,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS SIEGE ARTILLERY, June 25, 1864-10.30 p.m.

Major General W. F. SMITH,

Commanding Eighteenth Corps:

I cannot at present. The law requires that the senior artillery officer of the corps shall be chief for the corps, which often complicates matters.

HENRY L. ABBOT,

Colonel First Connecticut Artillery.

HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, June 25, 1864.

Colonel ABBOT:

The general desires that you send Burnside 7,000 sand-bags if you have them. Please inform me how many you have, by bearer. If you have no transportation arrange it as you best can or call on General Ingalls here.

C. B. COMSTOCK,
Lieutenant-Colonel and Aide-de-Camp.

HEADQUARTERS SIEGE ARTILLERY, June 25, 1864.

Colonel C. B. COMSTOCK,

Aide-de-Camp:

COLONEL: I made requisition for 25,000 sand-bags-5,000 for each gun, excluding the 100-pounders. How many were actually obtained I cannot say without seeing my ordnance officer, who is now at Broadway Landing. I have no transportation for them. I would suggest that you direct General Ingalls to send transportation to the Broadway Landing [one mile below the pontoon bridge], and let the wagon-master carry an order for Captain S. P. Hatfield, ordnance officer of siege train, to issue the required number of bags to General Burnside. I think this plan would save much time. These bags, I hope, will be replaced, as I find I shall be obliged to supply them for my embrasures. Several times to-day I have been much inconvenienced by having no telegraphic communication with Broadway Landing. The wire crosses the river there to General Butler's headquarters so that an operator is all that is needed. I shall move my headquarters there on Monday, and I shall need a very large detail of orderlies if the operator cannot be supplied. My guns are now in position from the James River to