Lieutenant Peter S. Michie, U. S. Engineers, assistant engineer, Department of the South, was assigned temporarily to the direction of the engineering operations on the right.

In compliance with instructions from the general commanding, the following record of Lieutenant Michie's operations is compiled from the reports of superintending officers made to him, which were filed with similar ones made to me, in this office.

This day and night the parapet of the approaches from the head of the sap to the second parallel were strengthened, the trenches cleaned out, and some rivetting done. A small magazine for the Coehorn mortars was begun in the fifth parallel. Injuries by the enemy's shot to the large magazine in the second parallel were repaired, and covering the same with sod continued.

The enemy fired heavily all night.

Wednesday, September 2.-Continued work on strengthening parapet in advance of second parallel to the head of the sap, sod covering on magazines in second parallel, and repairing ventilators to the same. Repaired injuries done by the enemy's shot to the mortar battery and magazine in the fifth parallel. Built traverses in the approach in advance of the fifth parallel.

The sap was started at 7 o'clock this evening by Captain Walker.

He reports:

I have started the sap in the new direction (deflecting 110 degrees from the last approach), and succeeded in putting in about 14 feet, when I was relieved. Not more than ten shovels full of earth had been thrown before the enemy opened fire, making the place a very hot one. Two lookouts were built for sharpshooters. The fascine parapet on the beach (on the right of this line) was raised three fascines high, and at the base laid ten fascines wide. It will require six more fascines, besides sand-bags, to finish it.

A Requa battery was mounted in this position.

Thursday, September 3.-The sap was continued to-day, but its progress were very slow, owing to the enemy's artillery fire, and that of his sharpshooters, who attained a position on the left of Wagner, which nearly enfiladed the trench.

Captain Suess reports:

I continued to work on the new sap by means of the full sap, excepting that no sap-roller was used. Up to 4 p. m. 18 feet had been executed, while the greater part of the whole line had been provided with a sand-bag banquette and rivetting. At this time I was disabled by a rifle-shot from Fort Wagner, and had to quit the place.

This shot came from one of the enemy's sharpshooters, and cut off all the fingers from the captain's right hand, as he was in the act of placing a gabion.

The head of the sap is now at the narrowest development (25 yards) and least depth of earth (average of 2 feet) encountered in the whole line of approaches. The enemy concentrate a heavy fire of artillery and musketry on it at the short ranges of from 100 to 300 yards. Destructive torpedoes, having a delicate explosive apparatus, are thickly planted in the path.

Began, to-day, the construction of additional mortar platforms* in the fifth parallel. Made a position on the left of the second parallel for the calcium light to be used against Wagner.

The One hundredth New York Volunteers, Colonel Dandy commanding, Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Purviance, recently commanding, and Third New Hampshire Volunteers, Captain Randlett commanding, comprising the three

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*See Note 11, p. 319.

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