HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, December 16, 1864-4.45 p.m.

(Sent 5 p.m.)

Brigadier-General RAWLINS:

Your dispatch of 4.0 just received. There is nothing to indicate a movement on the part of the enemy. They opened this p.m. on the Ninth Corps front with a heavy gun, to which our batteries have been replying. This would have been reported if I did not presume you would construe my silence as indicative that all was right.

GEO. G. MEADE,
Major-General.

OFFICE OF THE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL, December 16, 1864.

Major General G. G. MEADE,

Commanding Army of the Potomac:

GENERAL: Deserter from Thirty-eighth North Carolina, Scales' brigade, Wilcox's division, forwarded to-day, reports Scales' brigade in its old position, extending from Battery No. 45 to the left to Battery No. 36, about three-fourths of a mile east of the Weldon railroad; Evans' brigade (Wallace's) on left of Scales'; Lane's brigade on right of Scales' in its old position; Gordon's and Pegram's divisions in reserve on extreme right of the line in rear of Heth's division. Deserter from Thirty-fifth North Carolina, Ransom's brigade, of Johnson's division, reports Ransom's brigade on extreme left between City Point Railroad and the Appomattox; Gracie's brigade on right of Ransom's; Johnson's division moved back to its old position last Wednesday; Early's troops (Gordon's and Pegram's) gone out somewhere on the right, reported to Weldon. Deserter from First Tennessee, Archer's brigade, of Heth's division, reports Archers' brigade in its old quarters. Informant is a conscript and has no further information.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNO. C. BABCOCK.

OFFICE OF THE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL, December 16, 1864.

Major General G. G. MEADE,

Commanding Army of the Potomac:

GENERAL: A deserter from the Nineteenth Mississippi, Mahone's division, Harris' brigade, came into the lines of the Sixth Army Corps this p.m.; states that Mahone's division returned to its old position in the rear of the line, and to the west of the Boydton plank road, after the late movement. Information did not accompany his command during the march, having been left behind on picket, where he was kept eight days; states that all the brigades of Mahone's division returned and are occupying the quarters previously erected, and doing picket duty at the interval between Lane's and Scales' brigades, of Wilcox's division, immediately in front of Battery No. 45.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNO. C. BABCOCK.