HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
July 1, 1864-5 a.m.

Major-General SHERIDAN,

Commanding Cavalry Corps:

Your dispatch of 2 a.m. is received. The commanding general instructs me to say that whenever you can ascertain anything definite of either General Wilson or the enemy, and be satisfied from actual trial that no material aid can be rendered to General Wilson or injury inflicted on the enemy, you can desist and return to the position assigned you on the left flank of the army.

A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS,
July 1, 1864.

Major General A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: The troops at Freeman's Bridge report from negro information that our cavalry, 7,000 encamped, on Mr. Wessells' farm, near Littleton, last night. This report has come to me from two or three sources, and unless troops have come up from Suffolk it must be General Wilson. There is no enemy on Stony Creek or at Sussex Court-house. A party has been sent to Littleton to ascertain positively what force encamped at Wessells' farm last night. Men have been coming in all day in small squads, but none from General Wilson after Wednesday evening. Scouting parties report his having crossed the Nottoway, but I have all kinds of reports and am afraid that after he fell back from Reams' Station he was badly broken up.

Very respectfully,

P. H. SHERIDAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. CAVALRY CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Templeton's, fifteen miles from Petersburg Railroad,

July 1, 1864-3 p.m.

Major-General HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: I moved one of my divisions down the plank road this morning early, sending two regiments to Freeman's Bridge, and one regiment to Stony Creek to collect information in reference to General Wilson and the position of the rebel cavalry. Some ten or twelve of General Wilson's officers and sixty or seventy men came in this morning. From them I get the following information:

General Wilson, on his return, was first opposed at a swamp beyond Stony Creek on Tuesday evening. He drove the enemy to this swamp, but could drive them no farther. On Wednesday morning he fell back, leaving Colonel Chapman's brigade as a rear guard. The rear guard was surrounded and cut off from the horses, and according to accounts of Major Moore, Eighth New York, and five other officers, the brigade was completely broken up and dispersed, Colonel Chapman getting to General Wilson with about 150 men, General Wilson going around to