HEADQUARTERS SECOND CAVALRY DIVISION,
August 31, 1864 - 11 a. m.

Major General A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff, Army of the Potomac:

GENERAL: In reply to your communication of this date I have the honor to report that my division can by concentrated at the Williams house in from three to four hours. General Kautz's regiments are posted as follows: one at Sycamore Church, one at Zion Church, one on the Norfolk railroad, and one the Lee's Mill road. The regiment at Sycamore Church could not be gotten here in less than ten or twelve hours. Exclusive of this regiment, the others could be concentrated in eight hours.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. MCM. GREGG,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding.

The enemy have pickets on the plank road in front of mine.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA,
In the Field, August 31, 1864. (Received 6.15 p. m.)

Major-General BARNARD,

City Point, Va.:

General Ord informs me that there will be but two companies of infantry (negroes), numbering in all about sixty men, to go to Harison's Landing. With this force it will be impossible to do any work, as it will all be required for guard duty. The wharf will have to be repaired before the artillery and cavalry can land. I send down some engineers to-morrow early to repair wharf and erect the works.

PETER S. MICHIE,

First Lieutenant, U. S. Engineers, and Acting Chief Engineer of Dept.

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

August 31, 1864.

Major-General ORD:

The signal officer at Spring Hill reports that "at 7.45 a. m. a train of eight cars heavily loaded with troops passed the Junction toward Petersburg."

L. B. NORTON,

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

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF VA. AND N. C.

Numbers 239.
In the Field, Va., August 31, 1864.

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XI. Brigadier General Gilman Marston, U. S. Volunteers, is hereby assigned to the command of all the U. S. troops on the James River, east of City Point and west of Fort Monroe. He will establish his headquarters at Wilson's Wharf.