CITY POINT, VA., October 12, 1864-5 p.m.

Major-General BUTLER:

Your dispatches received. Postpone the movement; it is now too late.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

OCTOBER 12, 1864-7 p.m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

There are at City Point about 300 unorganized recruits for the One hundred and forty-second New York. They have been some days at City Point; have been coaxed by those who desire to get them. The captains that have been commissioned have deserted them and cannot be found. They were ordered to the One hundred and forty-second Regiment by the War Department. They have elected officers and are a mob. If they can be sent to the regiment to which they belong they will be assigned to good companies with good officers, and will be serviceable in a fortnight. Otherwise, they are worse than useless for months. We have suffered so much from these new organization we shall not wait for a mob to make one. Please order them to me and I will send for them to-morrow morning.

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General.

OCTOBER, 12, 1864-7.30 p.m.(Received 8 p.m.)

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

If you see no objection, I will order that movement at daybreak to-morrow, so as to strike the enemy's pickets by sunrise, giving the men their coffee before they start.

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General, Commanding.

CITY POINT, VA., October 12, 1864-8.10 p.m.

Major-General BUTLER:

I fully approve of your making the movement ordered for this afternoon early in the morning.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, October 12, 1864. (Received 4.55 p.m.)

General BUTLER:

I have withdrawn my flag of truce. I communicated with the rebel pickets and sent your letter of introduction to General Ewell. No reply has been received yet, and I shall remain at Weitzel's until I hear from them.

G. A. KENSEL,
Lieutenant-Colonel, &c.