adjutant-general of Ramseur's brigade-name not reported. Ten other commissioned officers were captured adn 70 privates. Sixty rebels were buried on the field. In our center Burnside reports his advanced line as being this morning within 1 1/2 miles of Mechanicsville.

C. A. DANA.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

NEAR BETHESDA CHURCH, June 1, 1864-5 p.m. (Received 6.10 p.m., 2nd.)

General Sheridan successfully held his position at Cold Harbor, repulsing an attack of part of Longstreet's corps this morning. The advance of the Sixth Corps got to Cold Harbor at 9 a.m. Wright's column was closely followed by Smith's. Wright was ordered to attack the enemy at once, but reconnoitered, skirmished, and delayed till he found, at 2 p.m., that there were no longer any rebels before him. It appears, however, that they still had a part of the road between Bethesda Church and Cold Harbor. As I reported in my dispatch of 10 a.m., Warren was ordered to attack a column of the rebel infantry which was passing toward Cold Harbor, but instead of falling upon it in force he opened with artillery, and at 3 p.m. reported that the entrenchments of the enemy were exceedingly strong, and that his own lines were so long that he had no mass of troops to attack with. It seems that Wright blundered in the execution of his order to march to Cold Harbor. Instead of having his advance there at 9 a.m. it was General Grant's and Meade's design that his whole corps should be on the ground at daylight, when a rapid attack in mass would certainly have routed the rebel force which a little later assaulted Sheridan, and an advantage might easily have been gained which, followed up by Sheridan's two divisions of cavalry, might have led to the dispersal of Lee's army. Both Generals Grant and Meade are intensely disgusted with these failures of Wright and Warren.

Meade says a radical change must be made, no matter how unpleasant it may be to make it; but I doubt whether he will really attempt to apply so extreme a remedy. Meanwhile the two corps have been ordered to withdraw from the lines before the enemy, and take up a position in reserve behind Warren [?]. This will give us a heavy movable column for attack or defense under a general who obeys orders without excessive reconnoitering. Sheridan, with Gregg's and Torbert's divisions, has moved around Lee's right flank, to attack him in the rear. We are now waiting to hear Sheridan's guns. General Grant's present design is to crowd the rebel army south of the Chickahominy; then he means to thoroughly destroy both the railroads up to the North Anna before he moves from here; besides, he wishes to keep the enemy so engaged here that he can detach no troops to interfere with the operations of Hunter.

C. A. DANA.

Honorable EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.