HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, November 21, 1864-10.25 a. m.

Brigadier-General WILLIAMS:

No changes have occurred in this command during the last twenty-four hours.

WINF'D S. HANCOCK,
Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, November 21, 1864-10.10 a. m. (Received 10.30 a. m.)

Major-General HUMPHREYS:

GENERAL: I send you nine deserters from Wise's, Gracie's, and Ransom's brigades, of Johnson's division. They came in last night. They have no news.

WINF'D S. HANCOCK,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, November 21, 1864-9.20 p. m. (Received 9.50 p. m.)

Major-General HUMPHREYS:

GENERAL: Some deserters of Ransom's and Wallace's brigades have come in this evening. They say everything is quiet in their lines. One of them says that the commissary sergeant of his regiment told gun that three trains had come in this morning to Petersburg loaded with cavalry, understood to be from the Valley. It was rumored that Early was re-enforcing Lee, although he had not seen any troops from Early. One of the deserters says that they had beef issued to them to-day, which was said to have escaped form our lines last night and gone over to them, creating quite a confusion among them, and that Wright's brigade was drawn up to meet them, supposing it to be an attack from us.

WINF'D S. HANCOCK,
Major-General.

HDQRS. SECOND Brigadier, THIRD DIVISION, SECOND CORPS, November 21, 1864.

Captain J. P. FINKELMEIER,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Third Division, Second Corps:

CAPTAIN: In reply to your communication received last evening I have the honor to state that on the 25th ultimo, the day before the last movement to the left, there was issued to the troops of this command one day's ration of codfish. It was nearly all thrown away by the men; I saw one brigade amusing themselves by throwing it at each other. I made inquiries in regard to it, and was informed by my officer that the men had no means of cooking it while on the march, and to eat it raw would make an excuse for straggling by constantly falling out for water, and for this reason the men threw it away rather than carry it along, not knowing when they would have and opportunity to cook it. I consider it, as a ration, lost to the men to issue it at such a time . The cause of the present deficiency in rations is partially owing to that