III. Paragraph I, of General Orders, No. 225, Adjutant-General's Office, current series, of date Washington, July 7, 1864,* is hereby suspended, and the following assignments to the command of corps announced, until permanent assignments are made by the President. Brigadier General J. H. Martindale is temporarily assigned to the command of the Eighteenth Army Corps. Brigadier General A. H. Terry is temporarily assigned to the command of the Tenth Army Corps.

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V. All regiments now with the armies operating from the James River whose term of service expires before the 25th of August, 1864, will be sent, without delay, to Washington, D. C. Also one regiment of heavy artillery will be sent to Washington, D. C., from the Army of the Potomac. Army commanders will attend to the prompt execution of this order.

By command of Lieutenant-General Grant:

E. S. PARKER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, OFFICE OF PROVOST-MARSHALL-GENERAL,
July 18, 1864.

Major-General HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: A deserter from the Fifty-ninth Georgia, of Anderson's brigade, Field's division, Longstreet's corps, has just been forwarded. He came into our lines abut 12 o'clock last night. He states that orders were issued to the pickets last evening to fire on any man seen going beyond the picket-line. These orders were peremptory and have never been given before; that his colonel said no attack would ba made on our lines, as so many deserters came into our lines yesterday and told us all about it. They did not leave the trenches. Informant says that it was generally understood an attack was to be made last night. Longstreet was to assault us in front and Hill would make a circuit in our rear. The movement was freely discussed among officers and men and did not meet with much favor. It was looked upon as a foolish and desperate movement. Informant is intelligent and his information corroborates all we have relative to Longstreet's position, &c.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNumbers C. BABCOCK.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, July 18, 1864 - 9 a.m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

The foregoing is forwarded as an explanation of the failure to make the threatened attack. All has been perefectly quiet.

GEO. G. MEADE,
Major-General.

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* See p.69.

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