I begin to feel that I ought to be at home and yet I dislike to leave without seeing nearer to the end of General Grant’s present movement.  He has now been out since yesterday morning and although he has not been diverted from his programme no considerable effort has yet been produced so far as we know here.  Last night at 10.15 P. M. when it was dark as a rainy night without a moon could be, a furious cannonade soon joined in by a heavy musketry fire opened near Petersburg and lasted about two hours.  The sound was very distinct here as also were the flashes of the guns up the clouds.  It seemed to me a great battle, but the older hands here scarcely noticed it and sure enough this morning it was found that very little had been done.

A. Lincoln.

Telegram to secretary Stanton. 
City point, Virginia, March 31, 1865. 3 P.M.

Secretary Stanton: 

At 12.30 P.M. to-day General Grant telegraphed me as follows:  “There has been much hard fighting this morning.  The enemy drove our left from near Dabney’s house back well toward the Boydton plank road.  We are now about to take the offensive at that point, and I hope will more than recover the lost ground.”

Later he telegraphed again as follows:  “Our troops, after being driven back to the Boydton plank road, turned and drove the enemy in turn, and took the White Oak road, which we now have.  This gives us the ground occupied by the enemy this morning.  I will send you a rebel flag captured by our troops in driving the enemy back.  There have been four flags captured to-day.”

Judging by the two points from which General Grant telegraphs, I infer that he moved his headquarters about one mile since he sent the first of the two despatches.

A. Lincoln.

Telegram to general U. S. Grant. 
City point, April 1, 1865.

Lieutenant-general grant: 

Yours to Colonel Bowers about the Secretary of War is shown to me.  He is not here, nor have I any notice that he is coming.  I presume the mistake comes of the fact that the Secretary of State was here.  He started back to Washington this morning.  I have your two despatches of this morning, and am anxious to hear from Sheridan.

A. Lincoln.

Telegram to secretary Stanton. 
City point, April 1, 1865. 12.50 P.M.

Hon.  Secretary of war, Washington, D.C.: 

I have had two despatches from General Grant since my last to you, but they contain little additional, except that Sheridan also had pretty hot work yesterday, that infantry was sent to his support during the night, and that he (Grant) has not since heard from Sheridan.

Mrs. Lincoln has started home, and I will thank you to see that our coachman is at the Arsenal wharf at eight o’clock to-morrow morning, there to wait until she arrives.