HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
OFFICE OF THE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL,

October 9, 1864.

Major-General HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: Deserter from Fourteenth Tennessee, Archer's brigade, came in last evening about dark. Was forwarded from the Fifth Army Corps. He states that he went out on picket yesterday morning, and toward evening he learned from some of his regiment that the brigade was moving farther to the right. This was last evening.

NOTE. - The same information was given by deserter from Cooke's brigade; that his brigade moved about one mile and a half to the right yesterday. The man from the Fourteenth Tennessee is stupid and uninformed. Was recently conscripted, and cannot locate his brigade.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNumbers C. BABCOCK.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
OFFICE OF THE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL,

October 9, 1864.

Major-General HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: Two deserters from Wise's brigade, Johnson's division, came into the lines of the Second Army Corps (General Gibbon's lines) about 8 o'clock last evening. From their statement Johnson's division is very correctly located. Their brigade (Wise's) is on the right of the division, the left of the brigade at the Burnside mine, extending toward the right nearly to the Jerusalem plank road. Ransom's brigade is on the extreme left on the Appomattox, next Gracie's, then Elliott's, the right of the latter at the Burnside mine. Informants say that the line is very thin, about a yard to a man, and only one line the entire distance. Mahone's division joins their right, but they cannot locate the brigades.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNumbers C. BABCOCK.

P. S. - One of informants states that during the fight of the last Friday on their right preparations for evacuation were being made. The two siege guns on the plank road (Jerusalem) were double charged and shorted, and then filled with mud and stones. They have since been cleared out.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
OFFICE OF THE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL,

October 9, 1864.

Major General A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: A deserter from the Twenty-seventh North Carolina, Cooke's brigade, Heth's division, came into General Griffin's lines last evening. He states that he was informed by some of the pickets that the brigade had moved about one mile and a half to the right last