Friday, July 17.-Completed the work on the right wing of Battery Hays, except emplacements for two additional 30-pounder Parrott rifles, being the right guns of the battery, which were ordered to-day and commenced this night. But for the rain last night, the batteries would have opened to-day without these last-named guns.

Saturday, July 18.-The right wing of Battery Hays was completed this morning, all of its guns being in embrasure, arranged to embrace Fort Wagner and Battery Gregg in their field of fire. Four small splinter-proof magazines were built for the service of the guns of this battery.

All the left batteries were half sunken. Sand-bag* rivetting was used throughout, even for the embrasures. The fifteen pieces first ordered were ready in sixty hours from the time of breaking ground. About five hundred and forty days' work+ were expended. The work was mostly done in the night. Considerable care was taken the first two days to mask the batteries. No inconvenience was experienced from the enemy's fire.

Lieutenant J. S. Baldwin, New York Volunteer Engineers, superintended the construction of these batteries.

The following pieces were in position and ready this morning, but, owing to the heavy rain, which again fell last night, the batteries could not be opened at daylight, as had been ordered. Constituting the left batteries are Battery Hays, comprising nine 30-pounder and four 20-pounder Parrott rifles; Battery O'Rorke, comprising five 10-inch siege mortars-in all, eighteen pieces. On the right, as I learn from the order for firing, are ten siege mortars, and fourteen rifled guns, making the total amount of ordnance in position, right and left, forty-two pieces, embracing twenty-seven rifled siege and field guns, and fifteen siege mortars.

At about 10 a. m. to-day all these batteries opened fire on Fort Wagner, and, with several vessels of the navy, continued the bombardment until dusk, when an unsuccessful assault was made on the work.

During the night of the 18th, an obstacle consisting of inclined palisading,++ which had been prepared according to directions given by the general commanding, was extended under my direction across Morris Island, from the creek on the left to high tide on the right, at a distance of 225 yards in advance of the first parallel. Had the assault been successful, this obstacle would have been placed beyond Fort Wagner, if at all. Captain John L. Suess, New York Volunteer Engineers, and Lieutenant Wilson, had charge of this work. Much delay was experienced in the transportation of the obstacle material, on account of the demand for wagons to carry the wounded.

During the night, the first parallel was extended to the left or westward about 75 yards by a rifle trench, so arranged as to deliver its fire on the obstacle. This work was not done under my direction.

Sunday, July 19.-The general commanding has ordered me to have executed the following alterations and additions in the first parallel, with a view to making it a secure defensive line, and to perfect its offensive arrangements, thus to be prepared to resist an advance of the enemy, should his last night's success encourage him to make one, as well as for further operations against him:

1. Extend the obstacle each way; on the right byt a return along

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*See Note 10, p. 318.

+See Note 18, p. 326.

++See Note 1, p. 303.

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