On the 16th the enemy, to reinforce Petersburg, withdrew from a part of his intrenchment in front of Bermuda Hundred, expecting, no doubt, to get troops from north of the James to take the place of those withdrawn before we could discover it.  General Butler, taking advantage of this, at once moved a force on the railroad between Petersburg and Richmond.  As soon as I was apprised of the advantage thus gained, to retain it I ordered two divisions of the 6th corps, General Wright commanding, that were embarking at Wilcox’s Landing, under orders for City Point, to report to General Butler at Bermuda Hundred, of which General Butler was notified, and the importance of holding a position in advance of his present line urged upon him.

About two o’clock in the afternoon General Butler was forced back to the line the enemy had withdrawn from in the morning.  General Wright, with his two divisions, joined General Butler on the forenoon of the 17th, the latter still holding with a strong picket-line the enemy’s works.  But instead of putting these divisions into the enemy’s works to hold them, he permitted them to halt and rest some distance in the rear of his own line.  Between four and five o’clock in the afternoon the enemy attacked and drove in his pickets and re-occupied his old line.

On the night of the 20th and morning of the 21st a lodgment was effected by General Butler, with one brigade of infantry, on the north bank of the James, at Deep Bottom, and connected by pontoon-bridge with Bermuda Hundred.

On the 19th, General Sheridan, on his return from his expedition against the Virginia Central Railroad, arrived at the White House just as the enemy’s cavalry was about to attack it, and compelled it to retire.  The result of this expedition was, that General Sheridan met the enemy’s cavalry near Trevilian Station, on the morning of the 11th of June, whom he attacked, and after an obstinate contest drove from the field in complete rout.  He left his dead and nearly all his wounded in our hands, and about four hundred prisoners and several hundred horses.  On the 12th he destroyed the railroad from Trevilian Station to Louisa Court House.  This occupied until three o’clock P.M., when he advanced in the direction of Gordonsville.  He found the enemy reinforced by infantry, behind well-constructed rifle-pits, about five miles from the latter place and too strong to successfully assault.  On the extreme right, however, his reserve brigade carried the enemy’s works twice, and was twice driven therefrom by infantry.  Night closed the contest.  Not having sufficient ammunition to continue the engagement, and his animals being without forage (the country furnishing but inferior grazing), and hearing nothing from General Hunter, he withdrew his command to the north side of the North Anna, and commenced his return march, reaching White House at the time before stated.  After breaking up the depot at that place, he moved to the James River, which he reached safely after heavy fighting.  He commenced crossing on the 25th, near Fort Powhatan, without further molestation, and rejoined the Army of the Potomac.