HEADQUARTERS TENTH ARMY CORPS, September 15, 1864.

General WILLIAMS,
Assistant Adjutant-General:

Captain Follett, U. S. Artillery, from his lookout reports the passage of a column of troops from Richmond to Petersburg. It was an hour passing a given point. A very long train of wagons followed it.

D. B. BIRNEY,

Major-General.

HDQRS. LIGHT ARTILLERY Brigadier, TENTH ARMY CORPS,
Before Petersburg, Va., September 15, 1864.

Brigadier General HENRY J. HUNT,

Chief of Artillery, Army of the Potomac:

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the report called for by your letter of instructions of yesterday:

Firing was commenced at 10 a.m. yesterday and lasted until 11 a.m. from the following number of guns and mortars: 24 light 12-pounders, 18 3-inch ordnance, 4 10-pounded Parrotts, 5 6-pounder James guns, 2 4 1/2-inch ordnance, 6 30-pounder Parrotts, 1 13-inch mortar, 4 10-inch mortars, 4 8-inch mortars, 11 Coehorn mortars; total, 76 guns and mortars. The number of round of ammunition expended were as follows: 708 12-pounder rounds, 491 3-inch ordnance rounds, 62 10-pounder Parrott rounds, 6 6-pounder James rounds, 41 4 1/2-inch ordnance rounds, 139 30-pounder Parrott rounds, 8 13-inch mortar rounds, 49 10-inch mortar wounds, 29 8-inch mortar rounds, 148 Coehorn mortar rounds; total expended, 1,741. The fire from fifty guns and mortars was directed on the enemy's batteries and working parties; that from twenty-nine guns and mortars on the city of Petersburg. The effect of the fire upon the city cannot, of course, be ascertained, but was supposed to be destructive, as nearly all of the shells thrown were observed to explode within the limits. The enemy's earth-works, particularly the embrasures of his batteries, were very much damaged, and two of his batteries, the Chesterfield and one Cemetery Hill, after firing a few rounds, were compelled to discontinue on account of the accuracy and weight of our fire. As the result of the fire, our working parties have not been annoyed by the continual shelling of the enemy, which they have practiced for the last few days, not a cannon-shot having been fired since noon yesterday.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. H. JACKSON,

Lieutenant Colonel, Assistant Inspector-General and Chief of Artillery.

(Copy to Captain Charles H. Graves, assistant adjutant-general, Tenth Army Corps.)

HDQRS. LIGHT ARTILLERY Brigadier, TENTH ARMY CORPS,
Before Petersburg, Va., September 15, 1864.

Captain CHARLES H. GRAVES,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Tenth Army Corps:

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report, in obedience with verbal directions from the major-general commanding, and

54 R R-VOL XLII, PT II