U. S. GRANT,
Lieutenant-General.

(35) COLD HARBOR, VA., June 6, 1864.

MAJOR-GENERAL D. HUNTER

Commanding Dept.  W. Va.

General Sheridan leaves here to-morrow morning, with instructions to proceed to Charlottesville, Va., and to commence there the destruction of the Va.  Cen.  R. R., destroying this way as much as possible.  The complete destruction of this road and of the canal on James River is of great importance to us.  According to the instructions I sent to General Halleck for your guidance, you were to proceed to Lynchburg and commence there.  It would be of great value to us to get possession of Lynchburg for a single day.  But that point is of so much importance to the enemy, that in attempting to get it such resistance may be met as to defeat your getting onto the road or canal at all.  I see, in looking over the letter to General Halleck on the subject of your instructions, that it rather indicates that your route should be from Staunton via Charlottesville.  If you have so understood it, you will be doing just what I want.  The direction I would now give is, that if this letter reaches you in the valley between Staunton and Lynchburg, you immediately turn east by the most practicable road.  From thence move eastward along the line of the road, destroying it completely and thoroughly, until you join General Sheridan.  After the work laid out for General Sheridan and 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 detach a cavalry force to destroy the canal.  Lose no opportunity to destroy the canal.

U. S. GRANT,
Lieut.-General.

(36) FROM A STATEMENT OF LOSSES COMPILED IN THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL’S OFFICE.

FIELD OF ACTION AND DATE.  | KILLED.  | WOUNDED.  | MISSING. |
AGGREGATE.  |

Wilderness, May 5th to 7th | 2,261 | 8,785 | 2,902 |13,948 |
Spottsylvania, May 8th to 21st | 2,271 | 9,360 | 1,970 | 13,601|
North Anna, May 23d to 27th | 186 | 792 | 165 | 1,143 |
Totopotomoy, May 27th to 31st | 99 | 358 | 52 | 509 | Cold
Harbor, May 31st to June 12th | 1,769 | 6,752 | 1,537 |10,058 |
Total ................  | 6,586 | 26,047 | 6,626 | 39,259 |

(37) CITY POINT, VA., June 17, 1864. 11 A.M.

MAJOR-GEN.  HALLECK,
Washington, D. C.

* * * * * * *

The enemy in their endeavor to reinforce Petersburg abandoned their intrenchments in front of Bermuda Hundred.  They no doubt expected troops from north of the James River to take their place before we discovered it.  General Butler took advantage of this and moved a force at once upon the railroad and plank road between Richmond and Petersburg, which I hope to retain possession of.