CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS,

October 5, 1864.

In accordance with instructions from headquarters of the army, the following disposition of troops will be made to-night:

I. The Third Division, Brevet Major-General Mott commanding, will occupy the lien from Fort Hays to and including Fort Sedgwick. Two brigades will occupy the line between Forts Davis and Hays, and garrison these forts. The connecting line of rifle-pits need only be manned by a thin line. All the reserve troops of these two brigades will be massed in rear of and near to Fort Hays. The remaining brigade of this division will furnish the garrison for Fort Sedgwick. The reserve of the brigade will be placed in rear of the fort, where it will be available as a prompt support in case of any attack in the direction of the plank road.

II. On being relieved by the Third Division, the Second Division, Major-General Gibbon commanding, will take up the line from Fort Sedgwick to and including Fort Morton, and will garrison Forts Rice, Meikel, and Morton, as they are at present held. The reserve troops of this division will be placed in rear of Fort Morton.

III. On being relieved by the Second Division, the First Division, Brigadier-General Miles commanding, will continue to hold the line from Fort Morton to the river, placing one reserve in rear of Forts Stedman and Haskell, an another at such points as General Miles may select, as a support to the line between the Hare house and the river.

IV. The Third Division will picket from the plank road to the left, to a point half-way between the plank road and Fort Howard, connecting with the Fifth Corps. The Second Division will picket from the plank road to a point immediately in front of Fort Morton, connecting with the First Division, which will continue the line to the river.

V. As soon as practicable after this new arrangement has been perfected, General Miles will finish the second line between Fort Stedman and the river, and other commanders will strengthen their lines where-ever needed. The commanders will report the garrisons and names of commanders of the inclosed works as soon as the change is completed. Should General Mott's troops move too late to make the change to-night, it will be postponed until to-morrow night. General Mott will, however, relieve the Ninth Corps picket-line and will occupy Fort Hays and the rifle-pits between it and Fort Davis. The police of the intrenchments is represented to be very bad, and the attention of commanders is again directed to the matter.

By order of Major-General Hancock:

H. H. BINGHAM,

Major, Judge-Advocate and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, SECOND CORPS,
Jones' House, October 5, 1864-12 p. m.

Major H. H. BINGHAM, A. A. A. G., Second Army Corps:

MAJOR: I have the honor to report that I have relieved the garrison of Fort Davis and that I have the troops outside of Forts Sedgwick and Alexander Hays, the garrisons of which refuse to be relieved. The picket-line from Jerusalem plank road to half way between Fort Alexander Hays and Fort Howard is being relieved.

I have the honor to be, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. MOTT,

Brevet Major-General.