On reviewing the operations for the month, I find that nine new stations have been opened, that five of the old stations and six of the new ones have been discontinued, leaving twenty-one stations in operation on the last day of the mont. Five of the stations have been under fire during the month. The ones at Water Battery, James River tower, and Dutch Gap have been subjected to a very severe fire. The small tower at the Water Battery has been struck twice. The James River tower has had about 250 shot and shell fired at it without doing it any injury. A few holes in the platform and the barking of some of the braces by fragments of shells are the only evidences of the severe fire it has been subjected to. The station at Dutch Gap has been under fire nearly every day. The stations at Cobb's Hill and Avery's house have been under fire several times during the month.

The following officers and enlisted men are entitled to honorable mention for the gallant manner in which they have discharged their duties under fire: First Lieutenant S. B. Partridge, while in charge of station at Water Battery, several times under fire; Second Lieutenant F. J. Amsden, in charge of James River tower, and Sergt. F. A. Lindal, Second-class Privates William R. Owens and William L. Calhoun, of Lieutenant Amsden's party, several times under a severe fire, and especially on the 29th of the month, when our forces crossed to the north side of the James (on that day the enemy opened a sharp fire from five pieces of artillery upon the tower, with the view of preventing the forwarding of messages to our advancing column-135 shots were fired at the tower, but communication was not at any time interrupted or delayed); Second Lieutenant G. M. Chase, acting signal officer, and Sergts. Thomas S. Baird and William N. Baker, at different times in charge of the station at Dutch Gap, and almost constantly under the fire of the enemy, who was endeavoring to prevent the operations of our working party at that place.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. R. CLUM,

Captain and Chief Signal Officer, Dept. of Va. and N. C.

Lieutenant Colonel W. J. L. NICODEMUS,

In Charge Bureau of the Signal Corps.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA,
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER,

November 1, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the signal detachment in the Department of Virginia and North Carolina for the month ending on the 31st day of October, 1864:

On the 1st of the month the position of our troops on the north side of the James River was as follows: The Eighteenth Army Corps on the elect, extending from near the river at Graveyard Bend to a short distance to the right of Fort Harrison; the Tenth Army Corps joining the eighteenth on the right, and extending to a short distance to the eight of the New Market road; Kautz's cavalry division joining the Tenth Army Corps on the eight, and extending to the Central, or Darbytown, road, also picketing down the central road to its junction with the New Market road. No material change has been made in the position during the month. The lines of signal communication of the 1st of the month, on the north side of the James River, were from the old rebel tower on New Market Hill to the James River tower, and to a