pickets were captured. Imagine my anxiety during the whole night with my bundle of greenbacks. I would have been a fat capture and well worth to them a very desperate effort to take me in. Captain Fisk said when the ball opened, "Aubery, if the 'Johnnies' break this line you skip to the rear as quick as your legs. will take you." The suspense was terrible. In the morning I again went to City Point and got a receipt for every package and I returned to the regiment after buying a good supper of ham and eggs at one dollar a plate and a piece of "red flannel" pie at 25 cents a quarter. I handed every man his receipt and they much appreciated what I had done and offered me five or ten dollars, which, of course, I did not take. I made up my mind I would never take upon myself again such a responsibility if I could help it. The risk was great, for had it been known I had that sum of money I never would have reached City Point; it would have been easy to have knocked me off the horse, but a kind Providence then, as it had in the past, kept me so far from injury. HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, SECOND ARMY CORPS, MAJOR S. CARNCROSS, ETC. a move. Major-General of Volunteers Commanding Division. "Eternal vigilance," etc. From the foregoing it will be seen how alert were our generals. It was reported Early was reinforcing Richmond and an assault on our lines might be expected. General Grant telegraphed General Meade "to be well on guard." [CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Four days' rations need not be kept on the persons of the troops until further orders, but they must be kept on hand and where they can be issued at very short notice. By order of Major-General Hancock. SEPT. CARNCROSS, Assistant Adjutant-General. November 22d, 1864, 10:43 P. M. MAJOR-GENERAL HANCOCK: The commanding general does not care to have the four days' rations kept on the person of the troops, but they must be kept on hand and where they can be issued at very short notice. The rations issued for the four days must be made to hold out for that time. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. SPECIAL ORDERS, November 25th, 1864. Major-General Hancock having been granted a leave of absence for twenty days, Major-General A. A. Humphreys, United States Volunteers, is assigned temporarily to the command of the Second Corps. By command of Major-General Meade. S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. [GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 45.] HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Before PETERSBURG, November 26th, 1801. In compliance with and by authority of orders from the headquarters of this army, I assumed command of the Second Army Corps. It is natural that I should feel some diffidence in succeeding to the command of so distinguished a soldier as Major-General Hancock. I can only promise you that I shall try to do my duty and preserve your reputation unsullied, relying upon you to sustain me by that skill and courage which you have so conspicuously displayed in so many fields. PRIGADIER-GENERAL S. WILLIAMS, A. A. HUMPHREYS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Headquarters Army of the Potomac : GENERAL: The assignment of Major-General Humphreys to the command of the Second Corps temporarily, during the absence on leave of the permanent commander, I regard as a direct reflection upon me. I have the honor to request that I may be at once relieved of my present command. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN GIBBON, Major-General of Volunteers. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, November 28th, 1864. MAJOR-GENERAL A. A. HUMPHREYS, Commanding Second Corps: GENERAL: Before forwarding the accompanying communication to headquarters Armies of the United States, the commanding-general desires that General Gibbon have an opportunity of perusing the endorsement thereon. Will you therefore please send the letter to General Gibbon for that purpose? The regard the commanding-general has for General Gibbon, and the sense he entertains of the services rendered by that officer, causes him to view, with regret, his application to be relieved from his command; and supposing that the application may have been presented without a careful consideration of all the circumstances attending the assignment of which he complains, you are authorized by the commanding-general to say to General Gibbon that in case he now wishes to recall his request to be relieved an application to that effect will be favorably considered. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. BRIGADIER-GENERAL S. WILLIAMS, HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, November 28th, 1864. Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of the Potomac: GENERAL: As the best mode of conveying to General Gibbon the contents of your note respecting his application, I sent it to him together with his endorsed application, accompanied by a personal note. I return you herewith the original application of General Gibbon, and his reply, and am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. A. HUMPHREYS, Major-General Commanding. HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, SECOND ARMY CORPS, November 28th, 1864. MAJOR-GENERAL A. A. HUMPHREYS: GENERAL: Your note and its enclosure has just been received. General Meade is perfectly correct in saying I would have made no objection to serving under you as permanent commander of the corps, for he well knew my views in regard to the right of a commander to choose his subordinates. My idea was that in sending an officer to command the corps during the temporary absence of General Hancock, an unusual course was pursued when the next officer was considered competent to command, and that an unnecessary slight was put upon me which, from my service in this army, I had no reason to expect. I regret very much that General Meade does not look at the matter in the same light, but my application was not made hastily or without a full consideration of all circumstances, and further reflection has not served to change my opinion. I therefore do not desire to recall my application, and return it herewith. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, [GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 44.] JOHN GIBBON, Major-General of Volunteers. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Before Petersburg, November 26th, 1864. SOLDIERS OF THE SECOND CORPS: Being about to avail myself of a brief leave of absence, previous to entering another field of duty, in accordance with instructions I transfer the command of this corps to Major-General A. A. Humphreys, U. S. Volunteers. I desire in parting with you to express the regret I feel at the necessity which calls for our separation. Intimately associated with you in the dangers, privations and glory which have fallen to your lot during the memorable campaigns of the past two years, I now leave you with the warmest feelings of affection and esteem. Since I have had the honor to serve with you, you have won the right to place upon your banners the historic names of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Po, Spotsylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Ream's Station, Boydton Road, and many other contests. The gallant bearing of the intrepid officers and men of the Second Corps on the bloodiest fields of war, the dauntless valor displayed by them in many brilliant assaults on the enemy's strongest positions, the great number of guns, colors, provisions and other trophies of war captured by them in many desperate combats, their unswervable devotion to duty and heroic constancy under all the dangers and hardships which such campaigns entail, have won for them an imperishable renown and the grateful admiration of their countrymen. The story of the Second Corps will live in history, and to its officers and men will be ascribed the honor of having served their country with unsurpassed fidelity and courage. Conscious that whatever military honor has fallen to me during my association with the Second Corps has been won by the gallantry of the officers and soldiers I have commanded, I feel that in parting from them I am severing the strongest ties of my military life. succeeds me is entitled to your entire confidence. the hour of battle he will lead you to victory. The distinguished officer who His record assures you that in WINFIELD S. HANCOCK, Major-General of Volunteers. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, November 27th, 1864, 9:30 A. M. GENERAL S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General: No changes in the line to report since I assumed command. Officers of the Third Division picket report during the night that the moving of artillery and wagons by the enemy to our right was heard. A. A. HUMPHREYS. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, November 30th, 1864, 8:50 A. M. BRIGADIER-GENERAL S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General: By 3:40 A. M. Second and Third Divisions of this corps were relieved in the entrenchments by two divisions of the Ninth Corps and massed well to the rear. 11:50 P. M. The remaining two divisions of the Second Corps were massed this P. M. as directed. [SPECIAL ORDERS, NO. 304.] HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Peeblis House, before Petersburg, Va., November 30th, 1864. 1. Major-General Gibbon, commanding Second Division, is charged with the preservation of the entrenchments, abatis, and slashing from Fort Siebert to half way between Fort Clarke and Fort Dushane, including Forts Siebert and Clarke. HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE G. MEADE: The Sixth Corps will probably begin to arrive here to-night or in the morning. As soon as it does get here, I want you to move with the Second and about two divisions of the Fifth Corps down the Weldon road, destroying it as far to the south as possible. U. S. GRANT, HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, SECOND ARMY CORPS, BRIGADIER-GENERAL S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General: GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Lieutenant-General Grant's indorsement on my application to be released from "my present command." I desire to call attention to the fact that I did not ask to be relieved from duty with the army. Under the circumstances I should have been better pleased to have served somewhere else, but I yield cheerfully to the general-in-chief's wishes, as expressed in the very handsome indorsement which he placed upon my application. I am, general, very respectfully, JOHN GIBBON, From and after to-morrow the Second Division of this corps will picket from Weldon Railroad to Arthur's Swamp, having 300 enlisted men on picket. HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, [CIRCULAR.] To meet existing circumstances it is directed that all work not necessary for the defense of the lines of the army be suspended for the present, and that all enlisted men on special or detailed duty who can possibly be spared from such duty, be returned to the ranks. [SPECIAL ORDERS, NO. 326.] HEADQUARTERS SECOND ARMY CORPS, Before PETERSBURG, VA., December 22nd, 1864. 4. By authority of the major-general commanding the Army of the Potomac, leave of absence for ten days is granted to Major-General John Gibbon, commanding Second Division, Second Army Corps, for the benefit of his health. SEPT. CARNCROSS, Assistant Adjutant-General. CITY POINT, December 31st, 1864, 11:10 A. M. MAJOR-GENERAL PARKE: To the end that our men may spend a quiet New Year's day, direct that there be no firing to-morrow, except in reply to guns from the enemy. The usual vigilance, however, is to be preserved. ance. U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. Sent to all corps and independent commanders for their information and guid S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. |