against Wagner on account of the distance and the fact that their fire endangers our own men in the advance. Five, I am informed, have been already injured.

The first I consider the best plan, for so long as the enemy are strongly entrenched in Fort Wagner they will give us serious annoyance and have an excellent base from which to assault our works, which they must now more than ever be convinced is their only hope.

The destruction of Fort Wagner would give us possession of the whole of Morris Island and probably Fort Sumter.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. B. BROOKS,

Captain, and Assistant Engineer.

Brigadier General Q. A. GILLMORE,

Commanding Department of the South.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, Engineer's Office, Morris Island, S. C., September 27, 1863.

GENERAL: In compliance with paragraph 836, Revised United States Army Regulations, and your verbal instructions, I have the honor to submit the following report concerning those engineer operations against the defenses of Charleston Harbor, which were executed under my direction, between July 12 and the evacuation of Morris Island by the enemy on September 7, 1863:

I was appointed as assistant to yourself as chief engineer, by General Orders, Numbers 6, dated headquarters Department of the South, Morris Island, S. C., July 15, 1863.

On the 29th of August, Captain C. B. Reese, U. S. Engineers, was appointed assistant and consulting engineer, Department of the South. From that date I received your instructions concerning the work through him.

The siege works executed on Morris Island may be conveniently classified under the following heads, arranged in chronological order:

I. Erection of siege batteries against Fort Wagner, used in the unsuccessful operations of July 18.

II. Establishment of defensive lines across Morris Island, in order to secure our lodgment.

III. Construction of batteries employed in the demolition of Fort Sumter.

IV. Execution of approaches and batteries against Fort Wagner, which compelled its evacuation on September 7.

I had charge of the construction of a part of the batteries embraced in the first and third classes, and entire direction, excepting for five days, as noted below, of the second and fourth operations.

The following summary exhibits the amount and nature of the principal items of engineering work herein described:

Yards.

Aggregate length of approaches ..................... 3,440

Musketry parapet ................................... 1,025

Sand-bag rivetting ................................. 2,000

Splinter-proof shelter ............................. 360

Inclined palisading ................................ 520

Wire entanglement .................................. 300

Road and causeway .................................. 750