George G. Meade to Humphreys, August 8, 1863

(Received 3.30 p. m.) General HUMPHREYS, Chief of Staff: The following message was intercepted by our signal officers, 1.25 p. m., from rebel signal station to Taylor, rebel signal officer :

Please direct Colonel Worley [Corley ?] to have the bridge planked. C. (J. E. B. B. ?] sit oe : enera

The rebel signal officer was signaling toward Orange Court-House

from Pony Mountain. JOHN NEWTON, Major-General.

RAPPAHANNOCK, August 8, 1863, Lieut. Col. C. Ross Smit, Cavalry Corps:

I have had a thorough inspection to-day of ay picket line, extending from Hazel Run to Mountain Creek. My line is four times as strong as the rebel lines. I have reduced it. I attempted to communicate with General Gregg,and drove pickets 4 miles up Hazel Run without meeting any of his troops. I met with but little opposition. The rebels. fired 50 shots, more or less, without a reply from me. A signal message (rebel) from General Stuart to Colonel 8., south of Rapidan, says: ”Plank the bridge as quickly as possible.”

The Rapidan is very high. I do not believe there is any force this side of the Rapidan, save cavalry. They are ready to run west of Brandy Station. Thereisa brigade of horses grazing to-day at 12m., probably Hampton’s. There is no disposition to attack. Devin sees nothing this side of Mountain Run. In my front along the railroad the rebel pickets are strong.

(Received 7.35 p. m.) Col. J. C. KE Lron,

Assistant Adjutant-General :

In answer to your telegram of this date, I would say that General Gordon brought to this army the One hundred and twenty-seventh, One hundred and forty-first, One hundred and forty-second, One hundred and forty-third, and One hundred and forty-fourth New York, and the Fortieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, and took with him, when he left, the Forty-first, Fifty-fourth, One hundred and twenty-seventh, One hundred and forty-second, One hundred and forty-fourth, and One hundred and fifty-seventh New York; Twenty-fifth, Seventy-fifth, and One hundred and seventh Ohio;

Seventy-fourth Pennsylvania, Fortieth Massachusetts, and Seventeenth Connecticut. S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CIRCULAR. ] HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE Potomac, August 8, 1863,

The commanding general invites the attention of corps commanders to the large number of officers and men reported in the trimonthly report for July 31, 1863, under the headings hereinafter indicated, and he directs that an immediate investigation be made by officers on duty in inspector-general’s department, and by others who may be detailed for the purpose, to ascertain generally upon what duties the officers and men accounted for on special, extra, or daily duty are engaged; when and how the officers and men reported on detached service within the army and without the army are employed, distinguishing between the two classes of absence; by what authority the officers and men reported absent with leave are so absent; whether the officers and men reported absent sick are so absent by competent authority, and how long the officers and men reported absent without authority have been so absent. It is desired that these reports should be made as full as possible, and forwarded at the earliest practicable moment, for the information of the commanding general.

On detached service.

Within the Without s s : Without Present, army, the army. With leave. Sick. leaves Co. mand. 2 Zi = e 34 P 4 a ” 3) r=] q a q q Oo ‘3 € ® € a & © € ® € ® PuSaMeInS suet Heo dees (not Seu\eo tee Aloo iL First Corps………. 58 1,052) 108] 1,962 98 668 24 220] 247 5,536 18 306 Second Corps ……. 59 084 124] 1,836] 103] 622 26 89 3828] 7,627 27 483 Third\Corps or. s425- 62 899 150 2,411] 117); 558 48 211] 3804] 8,021 25 629 ifthiCorps: 5.00. -. 58 1,188] 138] 1,540] 174] 497 19 161] 170} 3,050 20 604 Sixth Corps……… 2 1,254] 123] 2,209] 106] 484 11 104] 105] 3,548 16 471 Eleventh Corps….. 32) 1,129} 180] 1,375 58} 311 17 489 205 5,541 2 482 Twelfth Corps …:.. 31 787 95 1,102] 54 286 24 332] 118 3,450 4 214 Cavalry Corps …… 59 2,121 298 6,285 76 479 56 688 21) 4,228 33 402 Artillery Reserve … 1 110 q 145 14 38 2 17 11 O20 vaueystate 33 Engineer Brigade… …… 61 9 761 1 GOP Recents 100 eens stiller Goa 43 Provost guard……. 5 159 6 93 15 84 7 68 20 423 4

By command of Major-General Meade: