MAY 19, 1864-9.30 a.m.

General BUTLER:

Will send a man who left Petersburg last Tuesday.

HINKS,

General.

CITY POINT, May 19, 1864.

Colonel SHAFFER,

Chief of Staff:

I find inspection that from 500 to 1,000 horses are disabled so as to be unfit for service for several weeks, and quite a number, I fear, never will be fit for service. By ordering up the balance of the District of Columbia Cavalry after four or five days I can have about 2,000 good horses ready for the field, and perhaps more. It will be necessary to establish a depot camp at some convenient point for the general to decide, where disabled horses can be recuperated and the dismounted men made available. There are about 500 dismounted men left at Portsmouth, and some horses with the extra camp equipage that I desire to have ordered up. Please issue the necessary orders for transportation and designate the place for the depot camp. This point will be very well if there is no objection in the proposed operations for the future.

AUGUST V. KAUTZ,

Brigadier-General.

MAY 19, 1864.

General KAUTZ:

I wish you would examine and see if you can't find a suitable place near Bermuda Landing for a camp for broken-down horses and dismounted men. I prefer it, for the reason that the men can be more useful. The orders you ask for have been issued.

J. W. SHAFFER,

Chief of Staff .

FLAG-SHIP AGAWAM,

Trent's Reach, May 19, 1864-4 p.m.

Honorable GIDEON WELLES,

Secretary of the Navy:

Two monitors practicing on rebel earth-works at Howlett's. Enemy entrenched before our army lines here. A man from Richmond to-day reports no fighting beyond Richmond. Great scarcity of provisions there.

S. P. LEE,

Acting Rear-Admiral.