MAY 9, 1864-6.45 a.m.

COMMANDING OFFICER FIFTH CORPS:

The major-general commanding directs that your pickets be well thrown out so as to watch the enemy closely. He directs that in his absence, in any combined operation on the left by both the Fifth and Sixth Corps, General Sedgwick take command of both corps besides commanding his own.

A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

MAJOR-GENERAL WARREN'S HEADQUARTERS, May 9, 1864-7.20 a.m.

Major-General HUMPHREYS:

We opened from our rifled guns a little after 4 o'clock, but the fog and smoke made our firing very uncertain. The enemy fired back but little. We developed a battery pretty well to our left, hidden by the woods. The enemy's guns can be seen about the Court-House now that the fog has lifted. The Sixth Corps pickets were withdrawn, but I have established a line of my own and am pushing them out on my left. I have no report from the cavalry on my left.

G. K. WARREN,

Major-General.

[Memorandum.]

MONDAY MORNING, May 9, 1864-7.40.

Met General Sedgwick in the salient of our breast-works. Says he, "Where is General Warren? I want to see him." Says I, "Right here." "Well," says General Sedgwick, "he has just showed me the order putting me in command of the two corps [Fifth and Sixth]; just tell General Warren to go on and command his own corps as usual. I have perfect confidence that he will do what is right, and knows what to do with his corps as well as I do."

W. A. ROEBLING,

Major and Aide-de-Camp.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, May 9, 1864-10.30 a.m.

Major-General WARREN,
Commanding Fifth Corps:

Brigadier-General Wright has been placed in command of the Sixth Corps. In the event of combined operations of the Fifth and Sixth Corps, and in the absence of the major-general commanding the army, you will command both.

A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.