HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, SECOND CORPS, December 19, 1864.

COLONEL: I have the honor to report the part taken by this division during the late move on the Weldon railroad.

On Tuesday, the 6th instant, at 2 p.m., I received orders from headquarters Army of the Potomac to report immediately to Major-General Warren for orders. On reporting I received instructions to be ready to move with division at daylight the next morning, with six days' rations and 100 rounds of small-arm ammunition. Wednesday, the 7th, left camp at daylight and marched just south of the Yellow Tavern, of the Gurley house, Smith house, and of the Temple house, following General Ayres' division, of the Fifth Corps, and being joined by Battery B, Fourth U. S. Artillery, commanded by Captain Stewart, which battery was assigned to my division by the chief of artillery of the Fifth Corps. Thence proceeded south by the Jerusalem plank road, arriving at Hawkins' Tavern at 4.30 p.m. At 6 p.m. received orders from the major-general commanding the expedition to pass the divisions of General Griffin and Ayres, and to cross the Nottoway on the pontoon bridge which had been previously laid. On arriving near the bridge there was some delay occasioned by a wagon having run off the bridge and broken one of the boats. The damage was soon repaired, under the immediate superintendence of Major-General Warren, and I crossed the bridge at 7.30 and bivouacked near the forks of the roads leading to Stony Creek and Sussex Court-House.

Thursday, December 8, I was charged with the protection of the general trains. Captain Stevenson, with 150 of the Second New York Mounted Rifles, reported to me for duty. At 6.30 moved the head of column, consisting of the Second and Third Brigades, the First Brigade, General De Trobriand, with five regiments with and five in rear of the train, and 100 of the mounted rifles with the five rear regiments; the balance were used to protect the flanks. At 8.30 the pontoon train was in motion and we moved rapidly forward, passing through Sussex Court-House and Coman's Well to the Chambliss farm, where I massed in rear of General Ayres' division at 3 p.m., reporting my arrival to the major-general commanding and receiving instructions to move forward to within about one mile a half of the Weldon railroad, and bivouacked for the night at 4.30. Friday, the 9th, pursuant to instructions, moved at daylight and struck the railroad a little south of Jarratt's Station at 7.30 a.m., and immediately commenced the destruction of the rails and ties along my division front. After this had been accomplished I passed down the road to a point about one mile south of the Bailey house and completed the destruction of the road to that point, and at 4.30 went into bivouac for the night on the Bailey farm. About 6 p.m. I received verbal orders from the major-general commanding that there was a space of about one mile between General Ayres' division and the cavalry division which was not destroyed. Moved the division to the point designated, destroyed the road, and returned to the Bailey farm at 10 p.m. The object of the expedition having been accomplished, orders were received to withdraw at 7 a.m. next morning, following General Ayres' division.

Saturday, December 10, moved at 8.30 a.m. and marched steadily, with but few halts, until 6 p.m. when darkness set in, and the road becoming obstructed with wagons sticking fast, it was impracticable to proceed farther, so I massed my division and bivouacked for the night about three miles from Sussex Court-House. Sunday, December 11, moved at daylight and marched about three-fourths of a mile, when,