, 1865-12-05
TIE AMY OF TIE JAXE9.
The following letter Of Instruction was addressed
tc Major General Datlet:
FoRrREss MoxaoE, Va, April :, 1881.

TIE Army OF TIE JAMES.
The following letter Of Instruction was addressed
tc Major General Datlet:
FoKrHEss MosaoE, Va, April :. 1854.
desirable shall commence Cd a. early day as p.so-
tou Of ali the asnies il the field q r - his Oh
e e eui sRs Il or n e
aes ~ 20 many units owing 10 he absolute neoef-
ltty Of bolding On to the Territory already taken
soa he & bssee1 sat sssf,s ssa s; s
my's country from the territory they
have guarded- By ench movement they tntespose
be guarded, thereby reducing Tho number necessary
to guard important po'ntt; Or n least occupy the
attention Of 3 pan OF the ensmy's foEces 4 no
mond being ihe greater objects, toward which our
attention Ems. b. directed IN tho next campaign IL
desirable 70 unitc al the ierce tEa ean against them
ortbe Potomac, and OF covering CTR depot with your
amy, makes It impossible to unite these forces
At The beslnInne oi my novs. propose. there.
yrncticable. The army OF tho Po1omae will act
from lls ptceent base Lees army being the obec-
tive point you Will collect all the forces from yonr
should tay not lcss ibza twenty thousand eEec-
tive ntn-Io ope.nte on the south side Of Jamea
Hyrr, Richmond being your ootcctiys point To
The forces you already have will be added about ten
Gen. Gilmore, who will command in person. Nal.
Gen. ". Q: Smith Is ordered 10 report to you 70
command The sst fso tie { asa q, o ySs
report % JON al Fortress Monroe, With 81
r. 's:,sst ,''s on '1:esa' s$yas,as. iss 'ss
that u1ue 10 move, you Nin make such disposition
Of them and yoRr other iorce "a you deem best
calculated TO aecclxs The enemy Is to the rea]
take City Point with a. small force ns possible
fort, or rather in,rcpth, at once, and concentrate
all your troops for the field there 1apldy yop
ibis lime foc your futute movements. The Get tha
has already been stated that Il, that Richmond /.
yonr objective point, and that there i 10 be coop
erutioc betxeeu your force and The Army q The 20
eity your holding close to the souh bank Of tht
enemy be forced into bts intrencimenls in nch
mond, The Aruy ot The Potomac wonid follow, and
come unit. All The minor details Of your advance
e1e len entirely 70 your discretion. IL however
70 IS o cut tss 1osd G1 npoSf hS
1bont the time OF the general adv1nce II would bt
Of immense advauiace- You Will please forwatt
ali ofdcss. details and Instructions you na,
Five for he execution q tbs t9n o5de., ,,n, c
To Msj. Gen B. +. Butler.
On The 16ah these instructions we're substantial,
redteisted On the 18th, IN order TO secure full co
operatt0p between his amy and that of Gen
Meade he u e. Informed p .hat s1pes1ed hi@ e., te
esd Mesde moved om GnepDe, De 4be tgs
;e ,sssspS 5la 4 ~
~ Smeen ven39 II3pepp5 stand doo 1s6iGapa' s6nnia y.
NM m arn maze M I'm ! jnnetton SiF, his d;en Butier's
s!nv ~ % IN he James ysr AZ that eofd he eeTfai2
1haty hn wnnid IN sI,a ~ fnxast R,rhmnn5 m ihe
J.T,es rrc, atore ~ c9tv Won,d forn, H. innc ~.
uo@ Ine ndash1e eSI nIhon sS,t ~ .bnna nss
sSe1s' every e1e5ion q. secure . ioofias = !
~ X rop1t AN1 md '11 AZ - .non 4,
rsrsb,e aner he rseeant Of orders 10 move: TIN,
he coni nni carry he t,ty he shond at Ica.t detsit
r;i.T - nMer II IL 1heii{on sn an
tn.a ,he cncMyss imnnrtont stnnnphoIds> Th{,
mtac nc desirous that Gen: Butler should succeed
n his Increment aSsnst ehmona, f "a anat xonlt
iend mole Iaan anyto'ne e.se, nnIfTs H. W. sns
sesait RsiH'Gi q dc g eazt i c 4 iaea Masmy deter@i
nailon, BY hard tehtipg, eithss 70 e9npsl r. t
1 50 p6SS n s at hs den nol
shs @ ds.tees q Hs5@ena III i va asi undsssssea
BY both Generals Butler and Meade neloTe sta1tlna
On the eampalgn, thai II Waa ~ ny intention to I pu
6h e sop q III pco7s = eS
aen. . Batler his distractions, ylslied FL =
Fortress Monroe ana r. % potn.sa oa
Of Feterabnrg and destroying fail1oat
Communication ~ taf sonth a GnsatKntte
believing: ho"esef; ~ INC p,ac9iitAo,1.; 1..
Of esptut1ng % Mfhmona; 6 ~, amssa s.,fr. M w.
reinforced, and maNng tnat me ooeeIne pom
Of his operations. ~ the ATTY o. ne aia Iot2ma'
Mas 70 mose slnaaenuss Htn ad * q; a
al1aSk loan MS s.1y WIZ eatGts ~ ue - ;
not have troops 10 nnae 70 tne oe1ence oi taa 81
u time 70 Mcet Ispld movement nom tne eou1'
SIDE OF the James i4ser.
lmny here s@te saat, COMMANDING ~ we afmle
as d1d: d1ed Is " as posslnle 70 leave t1en
Meade In independent eommana o. 1ne e. arm tia
army were Ill through hin. Of course genera
thefr nature leaving jill the details and their exc
cut1on 70 him. me campaign that iouo#ea prove
him TO bc the right man IN the right place; III
commanding tlWnye In the presence OF IN omcer eu
pcIior to him ln rank, has drawn from him much
that public attention that t real and ability ent
Tie hun TO. which he would nave Othcfwise fecefsod
o..,,-,,.o or rr1r CAMPAIGN or 1865 m y1batS1a
y. 49,, ,,....t.. T., r,,ra,,, ,ar7c,
a.. me L.Lol tuta =. M nars,rs,t. s. 1ha erm;e
~ eTe ~ ptst,rUs- sna ~ he i,mes dnrfn1 III
% ,ne q Mnx dsetostns naI G n M f,cis MT arad
known 10 Te pnS 4 ~ ths sc,inv 81 tha i,h er
pI,a, - ~ ystt h. r.meS . nof,inn n the en-
NV. ~ fne ~ defenrr ri 6rrrfs HiuG or Fo,
Ky my,s! s, 1tth d .1si1 ioss Tte fIma thns en-
aas+ 1atnss+ 49,, 49, ~. III Inst r. M fbe henef
eSu ~ 81. .nT-tae ,nd rrn,nre n Rlcbmnn
m sna "0 petsr+hnrr "'@Ir ennhj{np - il dit
1h . 10 .nd bn~ ~ ogss Ham ~ he eence
tY,sse niscns. $1,000
On lie 18Th the enemy attacked Cen Butler |
b;s nnsition in front or Drury'a Diut. He VI
| Hi9 RVsAA1A -! -tNI" -