burg such cavalry force, not exceeding 100 men, as may be in your command, to hold the telegraph line and assist in the defense, of the post station there; about 600 men, including cavalry, for the defense of the post. See that serviceable guns taken from the defenses of Yorktown and Gloucester Point be placed at Williamsburg instead of the present ordnance. Send the 100-pounder rifle, with its ammunition, to Bermuda Hundred. Order all the staff officers not personal to the commanding officer of Williamsburg and the other stations there to report to their chiefs for duty. Order the troops not needed for Williamsburg to report here for duty, including the light battery at W[illiamsburg]. All this to be done as speedily as possible without injury to the public service.

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA,

Numbers 63.
New Berne, N. C., June 27, 1864.

I. Colonel T. J. C. Amory, Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers, is assigned to the command of the Sub-District of Beaufort, relieving Colonel J. Jourdan, One hundred and fifty-eighth New York Volunteers, who will report to Colonel Amory for orders.

II. The commanding general takes this opportunity of expressing to Colonel Jourdan his high appreciation of the admirable manner in which he has conducted the affairs in his sub-district during his command of the same.

* * * * * *

By command of Brigadier General I. N. Palmer:

G. F. WARD, Jr.,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, City Point, June 28, 1864-10 a. m.

Major-General HALLECK,
Washington, D. C.:

Please telegraph General Sherman that he can move his army independent of the desire which he has expressed of detaining all of Johnston's army where it is. I think Lee now would only be weakened by re-enforcements. He has force enough to act defensively behind his intrenchments, and any addition would only consume supplies, which he must find it difficult to transport.* Every road leading from Richmond is now destroyed, and the Danville road so badly, I hope, as to take a long time for its repair. The Weldon road we can keep destroyed. Is Foster doing anything? I see from the Petersburg papers that Sam. Jones has called upon the citizens far and rear to rally to Augusta, Ga., to protect that place from a formidable array, which now threatens it. I do not know the geography of the South Carolina coast, but it seems to me that Foster has a force to do the enemy great injury in the present hollow condition of the interior of the South. Has A. J. Smith started yet after Forrest? I am afraid Sherman will have difficulty with his communications it Forrest is not kept busy.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

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*Substance of the preceding telegraphed by Halleck to Sherman. See Vol. XXXVIII, Part IV, p. 629.

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