I think it would be advisable in making the change to leave Hancock where he is until Warren passes him.  He could then follow and become the right of the new line.  Burnside will move to Piney Branch Church.  Sedgwick can move along the pike to Chancellorsville and on to his destination.  Burnside will move on the plank road to the intersection of it with the Orange and Fredericksburg plank road, then follow Sedgwick to his place of destination.

All vehicles should be got out of hearing of the enemy before the troops move, and then move off quietly.

It is more than probable that the enemy concentrate for a heavy attack on Hancock this afternoon.  In case they do we must be prepared to resist them, and follow up any success we may gain, with our whole force.  Such a result would necessarily modify these instructions.

All the hospitals should be moved to-day to Chancellorsville.

U. S. GRANT, Lieut.-General.

During the 7th Sheridan had a fight with the rebel cavalry at Todd’s Tavern, but routed them, thus opening the way for the troops that were to go by that route at night.  Soon after dark Warren withdrew from the front of the enemy, and was soon followed by Sedgwick.  Warren’s march carried him immediately behind the works where Hancock’s command lay on the Brock Road.  With my staff and a small escort of cavalry I preceded the troops.  Meade with his staff accompanied me.  The greatest enthusiasm was manifested by Hancock’s men as we passed by.  No doubt it was inspired by the fact that the movement was south.  It indicated to them that they had passed through the “beginning of the end” in the battle just fought.  The cheering was so lusty that the enemy must have taken it for a night attack.  At all events it drew from him a furious fusillade of artillery and musketry, plainly heard but not felt by us.

Meade and I rode in advance.  We had passed but a little way beyond our left when the road forked.  We looked to see, if we could, which road Sheridan had taken with his cavalry during the day.  It seemed to be the right-hand one, and accordingly we took it.  We had not gone far, however, when Colonel C. B. Comstock, of my staff, with the instinct of the engineer, suspecting that we were on a road that would lead us into the lines of the enemy, if he, too, should be moving, dashed by at a rapid gallop and all alone.  In a few minutes he returned and reported that Lee was moving, and that the road we were on would bring us into his lines in a short distance.  We returned to the forks of the road, left a man to indicate the right road to the head of Warren’s column when it should come up, and continued our journey to Todd’s Tavern, where we arrived after midnight.