continued his blasting operations at Dutch Gap, and has succeeded in getting a channel two feet deep at low tide. This during the recent freshens was ten feet deep in the shoalest place.

I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. R. KING,

First Lieutenant of Engineers, Acting Chief Engineer

Department of Virginia and North Carolina.

Bvt. Major General J. G. BARNARD,

Chief Engineer Combined Armies of Virginia.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA, CHIEF ENGINEER'S OFFICE,
January 25, 1865.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of engineering operations in the Army of the James for the week ending January 21, 1865:

The curdoroy to the Twenty-fifth Corps has been proceeded with, and a new road from the "Flying" hospital (a distance of 300 yards) has been completed. Repairs have also been made where necessary. Work has been done in strengthening the parapet, making good the revetment, draining, &c., on the line between Fort Burnham and Battery No. 5. Two magazines in Fort Burnham have been re-covered and one lined. Repairs have also been made to Redoubts Brooks, Wilcken, and Southard. The rifle-pits in advance of Fort Burnham are completed. The permanent bridge across the James has been proceeded with; but for delays in consequence of unfavorable weather it would have been finished. Repairs are still in progress on the Bermuda Hundred front.

Very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

W. R. KING,

First Lieutenant of Engineers, Actg. Chief Engineer Dept. of Virginia.

Bvt. Major General J. G. BARNARD,

Chief Engineer Combined Armies of Virginia.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF VIRGINIA, CHIEF ENGINEER'S OFFICE,
February 19, 1865.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of engineering operations in the Army of the James for the period of January 22 to January 31, 1865:

On the line of the Twenty-fourth Corps the work consisted in strengthening the parapet of Redoubts Brooks, Southard, and Wilcken, building magazine in the last-mentioned work, laying platforms, repairing revetment, and arranging loop-holes on breast-works between Redoubts Southard and Brooks. The loop-holes referred to were made of boards, as shown by the inclosed drawings,* and were substituted for sand-bag loop-holes for the following considerations: First. They present a smaller target for the enemy's sharpshooters, and at the same time give a larger field of fire. This consideration renders them especially adapted to locations where the lines are very close, or where, from the nature of the ground, the enemy's sharpshooters can find cover near our works, and will, I think, more than balance the disadvantage

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* See Plate LXVII, Sketch 6 of the Atlas.

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