I am informed that a large number of men of the Second and Third Brigades are near your brigade. Can you not send them forward to me? I have 405 men, who have all been severely engaged yesterday. We are near the cross-road (to the left).

Yours, truly,

J. W. HOFMANN,

Colonel Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers.

HDQRS. FOURTH DIVISION, FIFTH ARMY CORPS, May 7, 1864.

Lieutenant-Colonel LOCKE:

SIR: Shall I send Colonel Hofmann the men he asks? As I was ordered by General Meade to report to General Warren I do not feel at liberty to send them without his permission. I think the men here will do good work this morning if needed.

Respectfully,
L. CUTLER,

Brigadier-General.

HDQRS. FOURTH DIVISION, FIFTH ARMY CORPS, May 7, 1864.

Colonel LOCKE,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

SIR: To prevent any misapprehension as to why I came out of the woods yesterday morning [sic]. When they broke the men started back on the route we went in. I and all my staff commenced rallying them, but they were within half a mile of here before I got anything like order restored. I dispatched two staff officers to find General Wadsworth and take his orders; they both ran into the rebel skirmishers. I at the same time saw the division flag with horsemen and men rallying around it, and moved to it, supposing it was division headquarters. I moved to it and found only two of his aides with his orderlies. I immediately went to your headquarters for instructions. I could have moved the men I had rallied to the plank road, and should have done so but for the above-stated facts. I was very much mortified at finding myself separated from the column, and feared that there might be some misapprehension about it.

Very respectfully,

L. CUTLER,

Brigadier-General.

[Indorsement.]

NOVEMBER 22, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded.

I came across this report recently, and the circumstances having fallen under the eye of General Meade I have thought it right to forward this explanation even at this late date. It will be seen that it was written May 7, 1864.

G. K. WARREN,

Major-General of Volunteers.