CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS,

In the Field, October 25, 1864.

To-morrow, at 6 a.m., the following change in the position of troops on the line of this corps will be made: A brigade of the Second Division, to be composed of the Second Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery and two such other regiments from the Second Division as General Heckman may designate, together with the One hundred and seventh U. S. Colored Troops, under the command of the ranking officer, will take position from the right of our present line to the first redoubt on the left of Fort Burnham, including this redoubt and Fort Burnham. This brigade will be placed in position by Colonel Jourdan. The One hundred and seventeenth and One hundred and eighteenth. U. S. Colored Troops will report to Colonel Ames, commanding Third Brigade, Third Division, to be attached to this brigade. Colonel Ames, with his command, will take position and hold from the left of the line occupied by the above brigade to the left redoubt of our line, on the lower Kingsland road. Colonel Cole with his regiment will occupy the last-mentioned redoubt and the extreme left of the line. As soon as the above-mentioned troops have taken their position they will report to Colonel Jourdan, One hundred and fifty-eighth [New York] Volunteers, who will command the troop on the line. The whole First Division, the two remaining brigades of the Second Division, and the First and Second Brigades of the Third Division will move to the open field on the Varina road, about a quarter of a mile in rear of these headquarters and bivouac and mass in that field, the First Division in front, next the Second Division, and the Third Division in rear. Colonel Jourdan will then have his troops occupying this line provided with provisions for three days and at least 200 rounds of ammunition to each man and gun, and will instruct the commanding officers of the redoubts to hold them in case of attack as long as possible. The troops that are moved into Cox's field will, as soon as they get into their positions, be provided with sixty rounds of ammunition to each man, to be carried on their persons, and 100 rounds to be carried in wagons. To-morrow afternoon they will be provided with three days' cooked rations, commencing on the morning of the 27th. Each brigade of this force will be allowed one wagon to carry provisions for the officers of the brigade.

By command of Brevet Major-General Weitzel:

D. D. WHEELER,

Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

October 26, 1864-9 a.m. (Sent 10 a.m.)

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT:

A scouting party, sent out by General Gregg down the Norfolk railroad, captured some scouts of the enemy and brought in a Mr. Heath, a magistrate, who has been very active in conscripting for the rebel army. They also captured, at Disputant, a large number of telegraphic dispatches, showing the enemy have been taking off the dispatches from the wire running down the river. I send by orderly a few of these dispatches, containing information of use to the enemy, and would suggest some caution being given to subordinate officers not putting their