HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, SECOND ARMY CORPS,
July 9, 1864-11.45 p.m. (Received 11.50.)

Lieutenant Colonel C. H. MORGAN,

Chief of Staff:

COLONEL: Will you direct the commanding officers of the troops of the Third Division and First Division to report to me at my headquarters as soon as their troops are in motion to take up position on my left? Two batteries will be required to be placed in position near the Williams house road. Will you have them report to me?

JOHN GIBBON,

Major-General of Volunteers, Commanding Division.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, SECOND CORPS,

July 9, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel F. A. WALKER,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Second Corps:

COLONEL: I have the honor to state, in answer to circular from headquarters Second Corps, this date, that I have no brigade in reserve, my brigades being all in the front line, owing to the extension of my line in front of the left of Fifth Corps. I have a few regiments in reserve.

D. B. BIRNEY,

Major-General of Volunteers.

HDQRS. DIVISION OFFICER OF THE DAY, THIRD DIV.,
July 9, 1864.

Major J. HANCOCK,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report of my tour of duty as division officer of the day for the 7th instant: No unusual movements were noticed along the enemy's front. The total strength of the picket now on is 500 men besides officers. There are eighty-three posts, averaging about six men to the post. There is no reserve at present, all the men being on the line. If, however, it is the desire to establish a grand reserve for the line it might be done by reducing the posts to the ordinary strength of three men and a corporal. My own impression is that where, as is now the case, the picket is relieved every twenty-four hours and all the men are required to keep awake during the twenty-four hours, it is more desirable to have the line as it now is.

In reply to communication received at 2 o'clock this a.m. relating to a report of the corps officer of the day, in regard to the picket-line of this division, and directing me to report "why the omissions mentioned were not reported to him (division commander) at once, and also why they were allowed to exist until my attention was called to them by the corps officer," I would report that the change I made was so simple, and did not to any extent change the line, that I did not consider it necessary to report the matter till I sent in my regular report.

In answer to the second interrogatory I would reply that corps officers arrived at that portion of the line before I got there in the morning, and therefore noticed the defect before I could. The statement that there was a gap in the line is not, I submit, strictly correct. The line of posts at this point (a) are thrown in echelon, in order, as I suppose, to occupy a little breast-work (b) running part way across the