escort company, and the commanding officer will receive his instructions there. The enemy's scouts are constantly cutting the telegraph wires between Powhatan and Jamestown, and it is intended that your regiment, together with the escort company, shall drive them out of the country. The regiment must go supplied with three days' rations and two days' forage, and should leave camp at 5 o'clock in the morning.

By order of Brigadier-General Gregg:

A. H. BIBBER,

Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. FIRST BRIGADE, SECOND CAVALRY DIVISION,
October 15, 1864.

Captain A. H. BIBBER,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report all quiet along my picket-lines during the day. A scout was sent out seven miles to the right of the stage road, it having been reported that two regiments of the enemy's cavalry were in that vicinity; they found, however, no traces of any force there, and could not learn that any had been there. Mrs. Brockwell, a loyal citizen, as appears from her papers, sent in word to Major Beaumont, First New Jersey Cavalry, commanding picket-line, that on the 2nd or 3rd of this month three men took here husband away and that she could gain no information of him until yesterday, when she found him and his servant man both murdered, with their heads severed from their bodies, about three miles beyond our outpost. His crime was that he had taken the oath of allegiance some time ago and had drawn rations from our forces at City Point. Major Beaumont sent out a patrol and discovered the bodies as represented and had them buried.

Respectfully,

H. E. DAVIES, JR.,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
October 16, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded to the lieutenant-general commanding.

The authors of this fiendish outrage being unknown, it is impossible to punish their crime as it deserves, but it is respectfully suggested the attention of General Lee be called to this diabolical act as not believing such conduct can be either known or sanctioned by the Confederate authorities. Some action may be had on their part to prevent similar occurrences in future.

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA,
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER,

October 15, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel G. A. KENSEL,

Chief of Staff:

COLONEL: The signal officer at James River tower reports that "the fort with two salient angles on Chaffin's farm, second I think from