quarters and the engineer troops, the whole under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Spaulding, will be held in reserve at Poplar Spring Church for such service as may be required of them. A full supply of intrenching tools will be kept with them.

12. The chief quartermaster of the army will arm and equip every man that can be spared from the trains, place them under the command of officers of his department, an send them to the intrenchments covering City Point under the command of General Benham.

By command of Major-General Meade:

S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. ENGINEER Brigadier AND DEFENSES OF CITY POINT, October 25, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel T. S. BOWERS,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Armies of the United States:

SIR: I deem it proper, in reference to the previous verbal instructions of the lieutenant-general and in view of the expected advance of the armies to the front, to inclose to you a statement* of the force I now have at command for the defense of this post with which I am charged. I presume the lieutenant-general would desire to know the details of this force, being well assured that either this or such other as he shall consider fully adequate to hold this position, whatever the distance of the armies may be, will be left for its defense, and I accordingly feel that he may rely upon it that the place will never be surrendered by me.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. BENHAM,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. ENGINEER Brigadier AND DEFENSES OF CITY POINT, VA.,
October 25, 1864.

Major General A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Staff, Army of the Potomac:

I have the honor to state that I have here at this time under my command for completing and protecting the lines the troops and guns as shown by the inclosed estimate, the two four-gun field batteries, Third Maine and Third Vermont,having reported within the last twelve hours. It will be seen that about 1,546 of the 3,119 infantry and engineer troops require arms, for the issuing of which every exertion has been made since yesterday afternoon, and I trust that the major part will have their arms this afternoon and the balance before noon to-morrow. I have this morning ridden over the lines with Colonel Abbot and arranged to the satisfaction of both of us for the distribution of the satisfaction of both of us for the distribution of the ten siege guns he is ordered to send to me and which I shall expect to-morrow; and these, with the two more expected by the Third Vermont Battery, will, I trust, be very well arranged for as a means for defense. I inclose also a copy of the project I have prepared for the distribution of the men and guns for the defense along the lines for the information of the commanding general.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. BENHAM,

Brigadier-General.

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*See inclosure Numbers 1, p. 343.

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