had been sent south since the explosion of the mine they would have heard of it. Some convalescents belonging to their brigade came within a day or two from Richmond. They brought no news of the departure of any troops; said that Atlanta was being heavily shelled, and that Early was in the Valley. They did not seem to understand in Richmond that he had recrossed the Potomac. They know the location of the fourteen-gun battery, or fort of ours toward the left of our line, and they say that no mining operations whatever are going on in front of it or anywhere, so far as they know, on the right of their lien. They say that the enemy expect us to explode other mines. One of the men went yesterday from where his brigade lies, down the right of their line to where there is fresh dirt thrown up every day in front of the fourteen-gun fort spoken of, and is quite sure that no mining is going on there. He says that the fresh dirt thrown up is merely for the purpose of strengthening their batteries in position there. He saw several parties with augurs boring at different places intermediate the position of his brigade and that opposite the fourteen-gun fort for the purpose of sounding for our expected mines. I have a dispatch from Lieutenant Davenport, of General Butler's staff, saying that yesterday three deserters from General Butler's front at Deep Bottom reported Kershaw's division to be near Deep Bottom. It would seem that but one brigade of Kershaw's division, namely, Kershaw's old brigade, moved from Deep Bottom as heretofore reported, and that was stopped in the rear of Pickett's division.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEORGE H. SHARPE,

Colonel, &c.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, OFFICE OF THE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL,
August 5, 1864.

Major-General HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: A deserter from the Second maryland Battalion came into the lines of the color division of the Ninth Corps early this a. m. This is the infantry battalion of the Maryland Line which lay all winter at Hanover Junction. When our troops reached Cold harbor this battalion wa added to the consolidated brigades of Archer and Walker, in Heth's division, the brigade being now commanded by Colonel Mayo, of the Forty-seventh Virginia. This man (an Irishman) says that Heth's division lies opposite the colored division; that he does not think Wilcox's division has returned from the other side of the James yet; that he has heard of no troops being sent south; that the enemy are afraid of other mines which they understand we are going to explode; that the troops of Heth's division are gotten under arms at 2 o'clock every night, and so kept until some time after daylight; that they are particularly afraid of and expected explosion to the (our) right of the said colored division, where a ravine comes up to a hill occupied by the enemy; that he knows of no mining going on by the enemy anywhere on this part of their line, but he has heard that somewhere on Beauregard's part of the line the enemy are preparing a mine. He has heard no late new from Early, but heard yesterday that out West General Stoneman was captured, with 500 prisoners.

Very respectfully,

GEORGE H. SHARPE,

Colonel, &c.