HEADQUARTERS NINTH CORPS,
October 18, 1864.

Brigadier-General WILLIAMS:

Nothing unusual along our lines. Three deserters came in during the past twenty-four hours from the First, Seventh, and Fourteenth Tennessee.

JNumbers G. PARKE,

Major-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS,

Numbers 205.
Peebles' House, Va., October 18, 1864.

1. In pursuance of paragraph 5, Special Orders, Numbers 264, current series, from headquarters Army of the Potomac, the detachment of the Third New Jersey Cavalry is hereby relieved from escort duty at these Hough, to join their regiment serving in the Middle Military Division. The transportation of the detachment will be turned in to Major W. H. D. Cochrane, assistant quartermaster Ninth Army Corps. The quartermaster's department will furnish the necessary transportation.

* * * * *

By command of Major General John G. Parke:

JNumbers C. YOUNGMAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CIRCULAR.] HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, NINTH ARMY CORPS,

Near Poplar Spring Church, Va., October 18, 1864.

In compliance with provisions of paragraph II, General Orders, Numbers 15, current series, headquarters Army of the Potomac, establishing the "organization and equipments of pioneer parties" below cited, each brigade commander and non-commissioned officers and men, in the proportion required by orders above named, and will form them into a pioneer party for duty with his brigade. On completion of the organization, he will forward to these headquarters a report of his action, giving strength of his party, number and kind of tools on hand, and number of tool required to complete the equipment. Especial judgment will be exercised in the selection of the commissioned and non-commissioned officers.

II. The following is established as the organization and equipment of the pioneer parties of this army. The unit of organization will be by brigade. In each brigade one ma shall be selected for every fifty men equipped for duty in it; for every ten men thus selected a corporal shall be detailed, and for every twenty a sergeant, and for each brigade, one lieutenant. For each division a first lieutenant of old date, or a captain, shall be detailed to command the pioneers of the division, who will be a member of the division staff, and be furnished with a horse and equipments by the quartermaster's department. The pioneers will be especially selected for fitness for the duty. They will be excused from all guard and picket duty, and from ordinary fatigue details. The tools will be furnished in the following proportions, viz, five-tenths, axes; three-tenths, shovels; two-tenths, picks; and be carried on pack-mules