very large. To fill this detail I shall be obliged to take most, if not all, of the division at the Deserted House. Is there any objection to moving it up to the Williams house?

WINF'D S. HANCOCK,

Major-General.

[Indorsement.]

SEPTEMBER 5, 1864.

Major-General HANCOCK,

Commanding Second Corps:

There is no objection to moving the division to the points of work.

A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND CORPS,
September 5, 1864. (Received 9.28 p. m.)

General HUMPHREYS:

I have but two batteries I can dispose of with my weak infantry force. The great strength of my line should be in artillery, and I would lie to know if the chief of artillery can dispose the batteries so as to relieve some of mine. Five batteries are necessary on the line from the Williams house to Norfolk [railroad], and more would be serviceable in case of attack in that direction.

WINF'D S. HANCOCK,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND CORPS,
September 5, 1864.. (Received 9.30 p. m.)

General HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff:

The engineers call on me for several detail for work to-morrow. If I furnish them it will prevent me from doing much on the line on the left. My troops, already pretty well worked, are being worked to-night on the new line. I will furnish them for whatever purpose your consider most important, but I can hardly complete the line assigned me, even with all my disposable troops, not over 5,000 or 5,000 working men.

WINF'D S. HANCOCK,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS,
September 5, 1864-10 p. m.

General HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff:

A deserter from the Forty-second Mississippi, of Davis' brigade, who the picket from the regiment to-night told him that three divisions of Longstreet's corps passed to their right this afternoon. The deserter is positive he saw Longstreet to-night. He says he was along the breast-works with Lee. He says the talk among the men was that Longstreet's