of this was of slight injury. Having no sand-bags, I worked to disadvantage.

We fired slowly through the night with artillery, and annoyed the enemy with sharpshooters. They did not return our fire, and our men exposed themselves freely upon the bomb-proofs without drawing the fire of the sharpshooters.

The firing from our James Island batteries was, upon the whole, good, although many shots fell short and many shells exploded in the water beyond the enemy's line. Some shells from Shell Point fell between the fort and our pickets, and many exploded over them.

Twenty transports are in sight to-day, with the Ironsides and gunboats.

From observation of the positions, relatively, of Batteries Wagner and Gregg, I think, as no covered way has been built between them, that as the high sand-hills along the road and near the beach afford, where they are continuous, much protection from the sea fire, a connection of equal height should be immediately erected at such places where breaks in their chain occur. I would also, after this has been done, advise the same thing to be carried into effect upon the land side, as a protection from the shells of the batteries of the enemy adjacent.

Tuesday, August 25, at 4 o'clock, I relieved the fatigue party of 100 who had been working within the fort. I called for another detail of 100, who reported at 8'clock. With the day, began the fire of the enemy with both artillery and sharpshooters. I built a platform on the land face to the left of the 8-inch mortar for a 12-pounder howitzer, and made a ramp. I found much difficulty in obtaining material. I removed the heavy 2-inch plank from the banquette, forming steps for the infantry, and used it, substituting plank of lighter material. I securely nailed and braced these steps, and also braced the revetment of wood which, along the land face, had in more than one place yielded and bulged in from the fact that the earth had been removed from the base. This, I to-day replaced along the entire base of the parapet. I fins much splintered wood and shattered timber lying about the parade and in the fort generally. There appears to be no inspector-general's department at this post, whose presence might be beneficial in the removal of such obstacles. I also notice quite a number of shell and shot lying all about, which, if collected and sent to the arsenal, would be of use. The number of shots from the enemy to-day was about the same at yesterday until about 4.30 o'clock, when the cannonade became very heavy.

At 5 p.m. I relieved the fatigue party. About the time that the picket guard started to relieve those in the pits, the enemy made a furious assault upon our rifle-pits. Captain [E.] Mallett, of the North Carolina troops, being in command of the relief, arrived at the right time to repel it and a subsequent one. The firing lasted for two hours. Not having sand-bags, I had made during the day fifty hand-barrows, and with these, after the assault upon our rifle-pits, I put the men to work carrying the earth from the sand-hills at or near the rifle-pits to the marsh. I also began a ditch leading from it to the creek on our right. I went backward and forward through the night from the fort to the rifle-pits, and hastened up the work. We were several times to-night fired upon by the enemy's pickets, some of whom had left their rifle-pits, and it being low water, had placed themselves in the marsh.