Jordan reports that the enemy are building a new fort to our right of town. Captain Thickstun reports the enemy at work to-day at point reported yesterday.

P. A. TAYLOR,

Captain and Signal Officer.

HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES,
October 4, 1864.

Brigadier General H. W. BENHAM,

Commanding Volunteers Engineers:

The lieutenant-general commanding desires that citizens should not be allowed to come through your picket-line, as such permission would offer greater facilities for gaining information about City Point and for planning a cavalry raid on this place.

Very respectfully,

C. B. COMSTOCK,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Aide-de-camp.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
October 4, 1864. (Sent 2.29 p. m.)

Brigadier-General BENHAM,

Commanding Engineer Brigade, City Point:

The commanding general learns that you have had three regiments added to your force, and desires that you will press the construction as rapidly as possible. The connecting rifle-pits can be thrown up at some other time. The object now is to prevent a cavalry dash, which the redoubts will do. The commanding general needs the services of all troops on the intrenchments at the front, and you will let him know as soon as your redoubts are in condition to enable you to dispense with the services of the three regiments referred to.

A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

CITY POINT, October 4, 1864.

(Received 11.30 p. m.)

General HUMPHREYS:

The third regiment I have received reported last night and has been getting it shelters to-day; the other two, at Old Court-House, with the two brigade s they relieved, varying from 1,200 to 1,600 men, besides having one-fourth or more on picket duty, were occupied last week in slashing the wood down for Major Michler and myself one or two days, as reported to me, 1,000 or more a day being called for by the major. I have had nearly all the laying out to do, not having the two engineer officers that Major Michler expected to send me on Thursday, and i have the trace complete north of the railroad and some of the profiles up, and expect to have all the old engineer troops and most of these new regiments on the redoubts to-morrow and continuously afterward, expecting soon to be able to see Major Michler to learn his line and