General Orders, Numbers 19, of 1862, from the Headquarters of the Army, contains the only instructions ever received from the War Department upon the subject and directs that the commanding general of the army take the necessary steps to carry out the order, but so far as know the General-in-Chief has never published any regulations to govern the matter, and General Meade does, not therefore, consider himself authorized to direct that inscriptions be placed on the flags. He will, however, do all in his power to carry out your wishes with respect to the inscriptions and will at once issue an order for corps commanders to appoint boards to determine what regiments and batteries are entitled to have the names of battles on their colors. The commanding general does not know whether General Sherman and Governor Curtin were authorized to give the order issued by them which you cite. For the regulations respecting chevrons please see paragraph 1586, General Regulations, and paragraph 5, General Orders, Numbers 191, of 1863, War Department. The regulations do not appear to authorize a chevron for each battle. For those allowed it is probably only necessary to make a requisition on the War Department.

S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
September 20, 1864-1.20 p.m.

Major-General WARREN,

Commanding Fifth Corps:

The major-general commanding directs that you return the detachment of 200 cavalry serving with you to General Davies, and that you relieve the cavalry picket connecting with your left as far around as a point south of the Gurley house. General Parke will relieve them from that point westward. A suitable point of connection for the pickets of the two corps will be mutually agreed on. These directions will be carried out at once.

A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

Duplicate sent by orderly.

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS,
September 20, 1864-2.40 p.m.

General HUMPHREYS:

I presume it is not intended for us to occupy the cavalry picket-line; it is too far out. I think a good line would be about east from the Perkins house on the railroad, where my infantry pickets now are. I could connect with General Parke on the road running southeasterly from the Gurley house.

Respectfully,

G. K. WARREN,

Major-General.