HEADQUARTERS,
Near Spotsylvania, May 19, 1864. (Received 2.10 p.m.)

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Chief of Staff:

The furloughs of the Second Maryland, Forty-sixth New York, and Twenty-ninth Massachusetts Veterans are now out. Please order them to join the Ninth Corps.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

WASHINGTON, D. C., May 19, 1864-10 p.m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

Spotsylvania Court-House:

General Hunter placed in command of the Department of West Virginia. The navy will work up the Rappahannock even to Fredericksburg if you protect the south bank from guerrillas. The land is so high they can fire down upon the decks without danger to themselves. More troops will be sent to Fredericksburg to-morrow. I shall continue to send there all I can raise until otherwise ordered. The Twenty-first Pennsylvania Cavalry arrived to-night fully mounted. Shall I send them forward as cavalry, or arm them as infantry, and give their horses to veterans of Army of the Potomac? They are raw recruits and of little use as cavalry.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
May 19, 1864.

ADJUTANT-GENERAL OF THE MAVY,

Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th ultimo, communicating the instructions of the Secretary of War with regard to procuring animals and subsistence for the troops from the territory through which military operations are conducted. From the accompanying extract from a report* recently received from Major-General Sheridan, commanding the cavalry expedition recently sent to the James River, it will be seen that the country between that river and this place is pretty nearly destitute of supplies of the character indicated.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
May 19, 1864.

General HUMPHREYS:

A deserter who came into our line of the Fifth Corps last night from the Fourteenth Tennessee. Archer's brigade, Heth's division, says he thinks Anderson is on Heth's right and Wilcox on his left. His brigade lost very heavy. Rations issued night before last for three days, the first time this has been done since campaign began.

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* See Sheridan to Meade, May 14, p. 765.

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