large amount of railroad iron found, which an effort was made to destroy by burning. When the staff officer who brought the dispatch left, the enemy were showing signs of having concentrated and were following, but he thinks General Gregg will be in camp by midnight.

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
December 1, 1864 - 11 a. m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

I have nothing of importance to report, beyond the disgraceful fact that sixteen men of the Sixty-first New York Volunteers, First Division, Second Corps, deserted to the enemy last night from the picket-line.

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General, Commanding.

FORT MONROE, December 1, 1864 - 1.30 a. m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

I will be up on the 2nd of December. Would come up sooner, but my machinery is apart. If you are coming down will wait here.

D. D. PORTER,

Rear-Admiral.

CITY POINT, VA., December 1, 1864.

Admiral D. D. PORTER,

Fort Monroe:

I will be at home to-morrow.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
OFFICE OF THE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL.

December 1, 1864.

Major General G. G. MEADE,

Commanding Army of the Potomac:

GENERAL: The following is the list of deserters forwarded to-day: One from Sixty-first Virginia, Weisiger's brigade, Mahone's division; one from Twenty-third South Carolina, Wallace's brigade, Johnson's division; one from Fortieth Virginia, Walker's brigade, Heth's division; one from Eighteenth North Carolina, Lane's brigade, Wilcox's division. No movements up to last evening. No late information from Sherman. Deserter from Eighteenth North Carolina, Lane's brigade, heard it rumored that Mahone's division were under marching orders with three day's rations. Deserter from Sixty-first Virginia, of that division, knows nothing about it.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNumbers C. BABCOCK.