CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS THIRD CORPS,

Inskip's House, February 6, 1864.

This command will move to-morrow at 6 a. m. in the following order: Third Division, First Division. The ammunition train will be parked at this place, and only one ambulance to each regiment will accompany the troops. The remaning ambulances, the hospital and medical wagons, will remain with the ammunition train. On reaching Summerduck River, on the Raccoon Ford road, the division will be massed and await further orders. Only light wagons, such as are necessary for headquarters, will allowed to accompany the column.

By command of Major-General Birney:

John M. MORVELL,

[33.] Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS THIRD ARMY CORPS,

February 7, 1864-5.20 p. m.

This command will return to its encampments at dusk this evening in the following order: First Division, Third Division, artillery.

By command of Major-General Birney:

John M. NORVELL,

[33.] Major and Assistant Adjutant-Geneal.

CAMP OF HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

February 8, 1864.

Brigadier General J. G. BARNARD, U. S. Volunteers:

GENERAL: Yesterday for the first time I saw your report of engineer operations on the Peninsula*, and read with surprise the following sentence respecting the battle of Malvern, July 1:

I went out early to get a more general view of the hill and its connections, and afterward, assisted by Brigadier-General Humphreys, chief of Topographical Engineers, Colonel Hudson, Captain Mason, and one or two other aides of the commanding general, I directed the formation of the line.

This is not only erroneous, but I think somewhat ungenerous and discourteous. I was at Malvern by General McClellan's direction, given to me about 2 o'clock in the morning, to draw out the troops and post them in order of battale. You were not referred to in any way by General McClellan.

Colonel Hudson and Captain Irwin, of General McClellan's staff, were assigned to me as aides, and I also had with me Captain Abbot, Topographical Engineers. Upon reaching Malvern, I found General Porter's corps and Couch's division of Keyes' corps in position. Sumner's and Heintzelman's corps were massed on the plateau. After a brief consultation with General Porter, I asked you and General Hunt to accompany me, informing you both of the orders under which I was acting. We three, accompanied by the staff officers I have named and perhaps some others, rode together over the hill which I had been over the day before. Advising with you and General Hunt, I decided upon the ground to be occupied by the divisions of General H[eintzelman]'s

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* See VOL. XI, Part I, p. 106.

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