HDQRS. DEPT. OF WASHINGTON, 22nd ARMY CORPS, July 6, 1864.

Colonel WILLIAM HOFFMAN,
Commissary-General of Prisoners:

COLONEL: I have the honor to inform you that Brigadier General James Barnes, U. S. Volunteers, arrived at Point Lookout this morning and took command. I had supposed the War Department would send you a copy of the order assigning him to that command. I will send you a copy in the morning.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

C. H. RAYMOND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, July 7, 1864.

[General HALLECK]:

GENERAL: Please bring your order as to Eighteenth Corps, with the telegram and Grant's letter.* The President wishes to see them.

Yours, truly,

EDWIN M. STANTON.

Draft of General Order.

GENERAL ORDERS,

Numbers 225.

I. The troops of the Department of North Carolina and Virginia serving with the Army of the Potomac in the field under Major-General Smith will constitute the Eighteenth Army Corps, and Major General William F. Smith is assigned by the President to the command of the corps. Major General B. F. Butler will command the remainder of the troops in that department, having his headquarters at Fort Monroe.

CITY POINT, VA., July 7, 1864.

(Received 9 p. m.)

Major-General HALLECK, Chief of Staff:

The number of dismounted cavalry send from here reaches nearly 3,000 men; the whole force sent about 9,000. Will it not answer your purposes to retain the artillery you were preparing to send here to distribute among the 100-days' men, instead of sending back a regiment of heavy artillery? It breaks up a brigade to send one of these large regiments now. The dismounted cavalry took with them such arms and accouterments as they had, but they were not completely armed. Won't Couch do well to command until Hunter reaches? All of General Sigel's operations from the beginning of the war have been so unsuccessful that I think it advisable to relieve him from all duty, at least until present troubles are over. I do not feel certain at any time that he will not after abandoning stores, artillery, and trains, make a successful retreat to some safe place.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

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*See Grant to Halleck, July 1, Part II, p. 558, and July 6, 10 a. m., p. 31, ante, and draft of order following.

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