and Bushrod Johnson. Lees is commanding in person on the north side of the James. We shall be attacked in the morning and we shall make the best fight we can, but it is respectfully suggested that the immediate movement of a division or two by rail to City Point, and thence by boat to Aiken's Landing, is necessary. They have as many men as we have, with the advantage of being the attacking party. We shall be ready for them at daylight. Hoke's division has suffered so heavily that I don't think it will go in again. This information, which I believe is reliable, is submitted to the lieutenant-general. We have as the result of to-day's fighting 209 prisoners, 18 officers, 2 battle-flags.

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General, Commanding.

CITY POINT, VA., September 30, 1864.

Major-General BUTLER,

Deep Bottom:

Your dispatch received since mine was sent to you. Without abandoning the position now occupied by Meade, I cannot re-enforce you. You might, however, put a new regiment in at Deep Bottom and move that force to the front. If the enemy continues to hold his present force at Petersburg, I will to-morrow or Sunday night withdraw a corps rapidly, using railroad and steamers to get them to you without fatigue, and make another push. Is there not a considerable number of the Eighteenth Corps back in their old camps who ought to be up with their regiments?

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA,
In the Field, September 30, 1864.

(Sent 12.30 a. m. October 1.)

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

Commanding, City Point:

Since writing my dispatch of 11.30 p. m., I have received your of 11 p. m. saying that two divisions of Hill's corps are before Petersburg. I don't think that can be. I have drawn all the available old men, with the exception of 200 men, from Forts Powhatan and Pocahontas. General Ord was notified at his headquarters to forward all the men in his camp to-day. I see no reason to alter my dispatch of 8.30 [11.30] p. m. I will put the officer upon his life as to the truth of his information before sending this dispatch.

P. S.-I have examined this man upon his life, and he says he is willing to put it upon the question of all the divisions I have named except Wilcox's division, of Hill's corps, to wit, Heath, Field, and Hoke. He believes strongly from what he has heard that Wilcox is here, but he says he does not know it. We have numbers of prisoners from Field's and Hoke's divisions, and all report Heath here.

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General, Commanding.