George L. Hartsuff to Theodore Read, March 19, 1865

March 19, 1865. Lieut. Col. THEODORE READ, Assistant Adjutant-General :

The results of the late cavalry expedition may not be considered as positive, because the contingency it was designed to meet did not arise. I was not able to find that any of General Sheridan’s troops had been to the Chickahominy on the north bank at all. The holding of White Oak Swamp bridge and Charles City Cross-Roads was a disposition which would have secured freedom from interruption to any force of ours crossing the Chickahominy at Long Bridge, or at any point below there. The disposition of the force on the Williamsburg stage road south of the Chickahominy would have the same effectupon an attempt at crossing Bottom’s Bridge. Beyond this, and a more definite knowledge of the localities passed over, I cannot claim that any result of any kind was accomplished. The enemy’s pickets made several stands from

44 N. AND S. E. V. A., W. V. A., M. D., AND P. A. (CHar. LVI.

the Swamp bridge to the Williamsburg road and up that road, engaging us briskly at times, but without any casualties on our side. At Charles City Cross-Roads and in that vicinity Colonel Spear bad one man wounded and three men captured. The nonappearance of General Sheridan’s troops, and my inability to obtain any knowledge of his whereabouts, together with the unavoidable delay in crossing White Oak Swamp, which required extensive bridging and corduroying, operated more than any indisposition on the part of the command to make the expedition fruitless. ROB. M. WEST, Colonel, Commanding Division.

Hpaqrs. DEFENSES OF BERMUDA HUNDRED, V. A., ARMY OF THE JAMES, March 19, 1865. Bvt. Brig. Gen. T. READ, Assistant Adjutant-General, Department. of Virginia:

GENERAL: My order assuming command not having been issued until this morning the papers forwarded herewith and bearing date this morning have been examined and acted upon by General Ferrero. I have examined and approved his action on them all, but I suppose my formal approval on them to be unnecessary. By reference to the field report of this command, inclosed, it will be seen that the infantry numbers 4,094 and the artillery 1,045. I propose, if it meets the approval of the general commanding, to organize the infantry into one division of two brigades, under Brevet Major-General Ferrero, and the artillery into one brigade, the division to be called Infantry Division, Defenses of Bermuda Hundred, and the artillery, Artillery Brigade, Defenses of Bermuda Hundred, designation of the whole command to be unchanged. After a little further examination I will issue an order carrying out the above suggestions and submit it for the approval of the commanding general. Meantime, and until I can acquire more information of my command, I thought it simpler and better to have General Ferrero attend to the routine and detail duties of the command, and have so ordered in my general order inclosed.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,