HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, TWENTIETH CORPS,
May 16, 1864-6 a.m.

Major-General HOOKER,

Commanding, &c.;

GENERAL: I would respectfully report that before the receipt of your verbal message by Captain Oliver, directing me to relieve my troops at the fort, I received a note from General Geary claiming to be in command of the front by your order, and stating that he would relieve them and take care of the fort. This he partially did, and this morning the brought off the guns which were captured by my assault. My loss is heavier than I supposed. Returns in from two brigades show a loss of about 600. I have been informed by the ambulance officer that there are over 500 of my wounded in hospital. I have sent to ascertain with regard to this; if true it will confirm the reports received from brigades, which are sometimes exaggerated by the addition of stragglers and shirks to the casualties. I shall send in a reliable report very soon. My ammunition train is up. My troops are supplied with rations and ammunition.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

DANL. BUTTERFIELD,

Major-General.

I will send out the reconnoitering party, as ordered, at once.

HEADQUARTERS TWENTIETH ARMY CORPS,
May 16, 1864-10.30 a.m.

Major-General HOOKER:

GENERAL: I am within two miles of Newtown; met Captain Kirlin, of General Howard's staff; the enemy, he reports, holds the other side of the river at Newtown; the river not fordable; but shall go down as soon as regiment of General Geary's division comes to this point to capture some rebel cavalry which is reported to be on this side of the river cut off from the main force. General Stoneman is on the other side of Fite's Ford, holding at the same time Field's Mill, on the Coosawattee. The ford at Fite's Ford is reported passable, but Captain Kirlin says that he had to be ferried across to General Stoneman. The citizens, however, report a crossing about 100 or 150 yards below the ferry. There is a flat-boat, able to carry fifty to seventy-five men, and two skiffs at Fite's Ferry. Your order to examine Newtown Ferry the means of crossing. A citizen says that the rebels crossed their ambulances yesterday at Newtown on a flat-boat able to carry two at the time. He does not know whether it is destroyed; he says that there are no houses or timber near there to build the bridge, and that the stream is from fifty to seventy-five yards wide, and ten to fifteen feet deep; shall report when I get there.

Respectfully,

CHAS. W. ASMUSSEN,

Assistant Inspector-General.

HEADQUARTERS OF GENERAL HOOKER,
Resaca, Ga., May 16, 1864-9.30 a.m.

Colonel ASMUSSEN:

The general directs that the head of the column be halted at the forks of the road until further orders, and that you ascertain if there is any-