determined　to　do　this　by　requiring　me　to　proceed　with　two　divisions
  as　far　as　Charlottesville　to　destroy　the　railroad　bridge　over　the
  Rivanna　River　near　that　town；　the　railroad　itself　from　the　Rivanna　to
  Gordonsville；　and；　if　practicable；　from　Gordonsville　back　toward
  Hanover　Junction　also。
  〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMY　OF　THE　POTOMAC；
  〃June　5；　1864。　　3。30　P。　M。
  〃MAJOR…GENERAL　SHERIDAN；　Commanding　Cavalry　Corps。
  〃I　am　directed　by　the　major…general　commanding　to　furnish　the
  following　instructions　for　your　guidance　in　the　execution　of　the　duty
  referred　to　in　the　order　for　movements　and　changes　of　position　to…
  night；　a　copy　of　which　order　accompanies　this　communication。
  〃With　two　divisions　of　your　corps　you　will　move　on　the　morning　of　the
  7th　instant　to　Charlottesville　and　destroy　the　railroad　bridge　over
  the　Rivanna　near　that　town；　you　will　then　thoroughly　destroy　the
  railroad　from　that　point　to　Gordonsville；　and　from　Gordonsville
  toward　Hanover　Junction；　and　to　the　latter　point；　if　practicable。
  The　chief　engineer；　Major　Duane；　will　furnish　you　a　canvas　pontoon…
  train　of　eight　boats。　　The　chief　quartermaster　will　supply　you　with
  such　tools；　implements；　and　materials　as　you　may　require　for　the
  destruction　of　the　road。　　Upon　the　completion　of　this　duty　you　will
  rejoin　this　army。
  〃A。　HUMPHREYS；
  〃Major…General；　Chief…of…Staff。〃
  After　Meade's　instructions　reached　me　they　were　somewhat　modified　by
  General　Grant；　who　on　the　same　evening　had　received　information　that
  General　Hunter；　commanding　the　troops　in　West　Virginia；　had　reached
  Staunton　and　engaged　with　advantage　the　Confederate　commander；
  General　Jones；　near　that　place。　　General　Grant　informed　me　orally
  that　he　had　directed　Hunter　to　advance　as　far　as　Charlottesville；
  that　he　expected　me　to　unite　with　him　there；　and　that　the　two
  commands；　after　destroying　the　James　River　canal　and　the　Virginia
  Central　road；　were　to　join　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　in　the　manner
  contemplated　in　my　instructions　from　General　Meade；　and　that　in　view
  of　what　was　anticipated；　it　would　be　well　to　break　up　as　much　of　the
  railroad　as　possible　on　my　way　westward。　　A　copy　of　his　letter　to
  Hunter　comprised　my　written　instructions。　　A　junction　with　this
  general　was　not　contemplated　when　the　expedition　was　first　conceived；
  but　became　an　important　though　not　the　paramount　object　after　the
  reception　of　the　later　information。　　The　diversion　of　the　enemy's
  cavalry　from　the　south　side　of　the　Chickahominy　was　its　main　purpose；
  for　in　the　presence　of　such　a　force　as　Lee's　contracted　lines　would
  now　permit　him　to　concentrate　behind　the　Chickahominy；　the
  difficulties　of　crossing　that　stream　would　be　largely　increased　if　he
  also　had　at　hand　a　strong　body　of　horse；　to　gain　the　time　necessary
  for　him　to　oppose　the　movement　at　the　different　crossings　with　masses
  of　his　infantry。
  The　order　calling　for　two　divisions　for　the　expedition；　I　decided　to
  take　Gregg's　and　Torbert's；　leaving　Wilson's　behind　to　continue　with
  the　infantry　in　its　march　to　the　James　and　to　receive　instructions
  directly　from；　the　headquarters　of　the　army。　　All　my　dismounted　men
  had　been　sent　to　the　White　House　some　days　before；　and　they　were
  directed　to　report　to　Wilson　as　they　could　be　provided　with　mounts。
  〃COLD　HARBOR；　VA。；　June　6；　1964。
  〃MAJOR…GENERAL　D。　HUNTER；　Commanding　Dept　West　Virginia。
  〃General　Sheridan　leaves　here　to…morrow　morning　with　instructions　to
  proceed　to　Charlottesville；　Va。；　and　to　commence　there　the
  destruction　of　the　Virginia　Central　railroad；　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　will
  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　into　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　until　you　strike　the　Lynchburg　branch　of
  the　Virginia　Central　road。　　From　there　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
  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　Annaour　advance　guard　skirmishing　with　a　few
  mounted　men　of　the　enemy；　who　proved　to　be　irregularsand　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　Wade
  Hampton；　the　information　being　confirmed　by　a　scouting　party　sent　out
  to　cut　the　telegraph　wires　along　the　railroad　in　the　night。
  Breckenridge　had　been　ordered　back　to　the　valley　by　General　Lee　as
  soon　as　he　heard　of　Hunter's　victory　near　Staunton；　but　now　that　my
  expedition　had　been　discovered；　the　movement　of　Breckenridge's　troops
  on　the　railroad　was　being　timed　to　correspond　with　the　marches　of　my
  command　till　Hampton　could　get　more　nearly　parallel　with　me。
  On　the　10th　we　resumed　the　march；　passing　by　Twyman's　store；　crossing
  the　North　Anna　at　Carpenter's　ford　and　encamping　on　the　road　leading
  along　the　south　fork　of　the　North　Anna　to　Trevillian　Station。　　During
  the　evening　and　night　of　the　Loth　the　boldness　of　the　enemy's
  scouting　parties；　with　which　we　had　been　coming　into　collision　more
  or　less　every　day；　perceptibly　increased；　thus　indicating　the
  presence　of　a　large　force；　and　evidencing　that　his　shorter　line　of
  march　had　enabled　him　to　bring　to　my　front　a　strong　body　of　cavalry；
  although　it　started　from　Lee's　army　nearly　two　days　later　than　I　did
  from　Grant's。　　The　arrival　of　this　body　also　permitted　Breckenridge
  to　pass　on　to　Gordonsville；　and　from　there　to　interpose　between
  Gene