tion, was good. My brigade commanders, Brigadier-General Griffin and Brevet Brigadier-General Curtin, distinguished themselves by their energy, coolness, and courage.

On the 2nd instant we advanced to the Pegram house and took up our present position. Two killed and 6 wounded. This line we have since intrenched, and have built two redoubts on it. On the 4th instant the enemy attempted to drive in my picket-line, capturing a lieutenant and 6 men, but were driven back. On the 8th instant I advanced my skirmishers to cover a reconnaissance of the First Division; no casualties. On the night of the 19th I advanced my pickets on the right beyond the Boswell house; no casualties.

Copies of the reports of my brigade commanders accompany this.

Recent movements seem to demonstrate the urgent necessity of a reorganization of the division, which, in its present condition, is inefficient. Regiments should be consolidated into battalions, and these battalions grouped into regiments, and new officers appointed.

The officers of my staff were conspicuous on the 30th for their display of personal gallantry, and I can not commend their conduct too highly.

ROBERT B. POTTER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Major P. M. LYDIG,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Ninth Army Corps.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, NINTH ARMY CORPS,
October 31, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report that on the morning of the 27th instant my division moved out of the trenched shortly before daybreak, leaving the garrisons ordered for Forts Welch and Fisher. General Griffin, with the Second Brigade, moved out to the enemy's abandoned redoubt near the Duncan road, relieving McLaughlen, of the First Division, and covered the passage of the rest of the troops by that point, his skirmishers moving to the northwest. After all the troops had passed I brought up Curtin, with the First Brigade, and put my whole division in position, the center on the road to the right of the Hawks house and in line with that house, m right in the old rifle-pits of the enemy about an eighth of a mile from the slashing in front of our main works, my left connecting with the Third Division, and established a picket-line well to the front, near the house marked on the map of Dinwiddie County as Doctor Boisseau's, connecting on the right with the pickets in front of our main works. During the afternoon I threw up a good line of breast-works. Roger's (Nineteenth New York) battery having reported to me, I placed four guns on the line near the Hawks house and the remaining section near my right. During the night I slashed more timber to the front and opened the roads to my rear. On the retirement of the troops on the 28th, after the Third Division had withdrawn and the First was at the old redoubt near the Duncan road, I placed Curtin's (First) brigade, with a section of Rogers' battery, in position near the vacant three-gun battery, covering the withdrawal of the rest of the corps. About 3 p. m. I returned to my old position near the Pegram house. My losses were 3 wounded and 1 missing; total, 4.

ROBERT B. POTTER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Major P. M. LYDIG,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Ninth Army Corps.