but no sound of battle is yet heard from that quarter. If successful this maneuver will put us upon Lee's rear and compel him to retreat toward Lynchburg. Rain still continues. Roads very bad.

C. A. DANA.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

SPOTSYLVANIA BATTLE-FIELD,

May 14, 1864-7.30 a.m. (Received 9.30 a.m., 17th.)

Owing to the rain and the mud, Wright and Warren did not get up in season to attack at daylight. Meade has massed them in the woods, out of sight of the enemy. The prospect now is that there will be no battle to-day. The great rain has ceased, but we still have occasional showers.

C. A. DANA.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

BATTLE-FIELD OF SPOTSYLVANIA,

May 15, 1864-7.30 a.m. (Received 9.40 a.m., 16th.)

There was no serious fighting yesterday. Our flanking movement failed, owing to the rain and the mud, and the enemy escaped the surprise which would otherwise apparently have been successful. A conspicuous hill, with a house and plantation buildings, between our left and the rebel right, was carried by Upton's brigade at 10.30 a.m. on yesterday, the rebels, with a couple of light guns, being driven away. At 1 p.m. the rebels retook it, coming up with a force altogether too big for Upton. General Meade, who was there at the moment, narrowly escaped capture. At 7 p.m., Ayres, with his brigade, very handsomely carried it again. The losses in these operations were trifling. The hill seems to be valuable rather as a lookout than for offensive purposes. During the night the rebels have been busy in moving troops from their left to their right, leaving the lines in front of Hancock's corps vacant. To meet the attack on our left, which this seemed to indicate, General Grant has massed Hancock behind our center. This army is thus concentrated to the last degree. Warner's regiment of heavy artillery, the first of your re-enforcements, arrived here at 7.30 p.m. yesterday. This regiment has been assigned to Upton's [Grant's] brigade, of the Fifth [Sixth] Corps. The rainy weather still continues with occasional heavy showers. The roads are very bad, and offensive movements are nearly impossible. If we were to rout the enemy we could not pursue him. Nothing heard from Sheridan.

C. A. DANA.

Honorable EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

SPOTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE, May 16, 1864-7 a.m. (Received 3.40 p.m.)

No change has been made in the situation of this army since my dispatch of yesterday morning, except that Birney's division, of Hancock's corps, which was left behind in the night when the mass of that corps was moved into the rear of our center, has also been withdrawn, leaving Burnside's corps alone to hold the right. The rain has continued at intervals, and the mud is as bad as ever. The