yourself is thoroughly done, proceed to join the Army of the Potomac by the route laid out in General Sheridan’s instructions.  If any portion of your force, especially your cavalry, is needed back in your department, you are authorized to send it back.  If on receipt of this you should be near to Lynchburg and deem it practicable to reach that point, you will exercise your judgment about going there.  If you should be on the railroad between Charlottesville and Lynchburg, it may be practicable to detach a cavalry force to destroy the canal.  Lose no opportunity to destroy the canal.

“U.  S. Grant, Lieutenant-General.”

Owing to the hard service of the preceding month we had lost many horses, so the number of dismounted men was large; and my strength had also been much reduced by killed and wounded during the same period of activity.  The effective mounted force of my two divisions was therefore much diminished, they mustering only about six thousand officers and men when concentrated on June 6 at New Castle ferry.  Here they were provided with three days’ rations, intended to last five days, and with two days’ grain for the horses.  The rations and forty rounds of ammunition per man were to be carried on the persons of the troopers, the grain on the pommel of the saddle, and the reserve ammunition in wagons.  One medical wagon and eight ambulances were also furnished, and one wagon was authorized for each division and brigade headquarters; enough canvas-covered boats for a small pontoon-bridge were also provided.

My instructions permitting latitude in the route I should take, I decided to march along the north bank of the North Anna River, cross that stream at Carpenter’s ford, strike the Virginia Central railroad at Trevillian Station, destroy it toward Louisa Court House, march past Gordonsville, strike the railroad again at Cobham’s Station, and destroy it thence to Charlottesville as we proceeded west.  The success of the last part of this programme would of course depend on the location of General Hunter when I should arrive in the region where it would be practicable for us to communicate with each other.

From my camp at New Castle ferry we crossed the Pamunkey, marched between Aylett’s and Dunkirk on the Mattapony River, and on the 8th of June encamped at Polecat Station.  The next day we resumed the march along the North Anna—­our advance guard skirmishing with a few mounted men of the enemy, who proved to be irregulars—­and bivouacked on Northeast Creek, near Young’s Mills.  This day I learned from some of these irregulars whom we made prisoners that Breckenridge’s division of infantry, en route to the Shenandoah Valley by way of Gordonsville, was passing slowly up the railroad parallel to me, and that the enemy’s cavalry had left its position on the south side of the Chickahominy, and was marching on the old Richmond and Gordonsville road toward Gordonsville, under command of General