from me. The orders from him which were sent to move were forwarded, and as he could scarcely get up before dark I have decided to return to camp in conformity with the spirit of your orders, and have notified General Sheridan accordingly. Any prospect of being able to aid General Wilson from this point is, in my opinion, utterly hopeless, and in this judgment I am sustained by the division commanders. I start now in order to get over the intricate part of the road before dark.

H. G. WRIGHT,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTH ARMY CORPS, June 30, 1864-7.25 p.m.

Major-General HUMPHREYS:

I have halted the head of the column at the junction of the road from Reams' Station with the plank road, and will move the corps still farther down the latter toward the Warwick Swamp as soon as the officer sent to ascertain the locality returns. Soon after sending my dispatch of 3.30 p.m. I learned that General Sheridan was moving up to the station, and I at once suspended the movement already commenced till his arrival. After consultation with him it was agreed that no advantage to General Wilson could result from a longer stay at the station, and the movement was resume by me, and he ordered such of his cavalry as had come up back to the swamp. Your dispatch of 10 p.m. of the 29th directs that-

Upon General Wilson being relieved or upon its being ascertained during to-morrow that the has retired so far from the enemy as to have secured his retreat beyond their reach, you will return to your former position.

And again at 10.30 p.m. you say:

You will remain and co-operate with General Sheridan as soon as he comes up to effect this as long as there probability of its being accomplished; when it is effected, or when it is ascertained that General Wilson has secured his retreat, and that you can no longer be of any use in that connection, you will return to your former position here.

In view of these instructions I am at a loss to understand wherein my return was not in accordance with orders, which I have striven to obey as literally as possible, keeping what I have conceived to be the spirit of them constantly in view, and I believe that you only need to refer to those orders to see that the charge of not having acted in accordance with them is an error.

H. G. WRIGHT,
Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, June 30, 1864-9.45 p.m.

Major-General WRIGHT,

Commanding Sixth Corps:

The major-general commanding directs that you remain where you are now posted and give General Sheridan such support in the operations specified in the within copy of a dispatch* to that officer as he may need. It is not intended that you shall return, for the present, to

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*See Humphreys to Sheridan,9 p.m., p.530.

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