sand-bags arriving (3,000), I filled left them at various points subject for the duty of the night.

The fire of the enemy to-day was as usual as to number of shots and time. They made great advance in their work last night. They strengthened our original line of rifle-pits, and mounted a gun upon an angle on our left in them. Their line is now carried out to the beach.

Their sharpshooters very active to-day. They fired through the embrasures and killed a gunner at his post.

Yesterday they struck full thee times an 8-inch howitzer on our land face, breaking and driving it some distance into the parade. The carriage also was destroyed. This was done with bolts from the 200-pounder Parrott. Their fire is very accurate. When annoyed by our sharpshooters, the firing from the Wiard and small Parrott guns is quick and effective, striking off at almost every shot the sand-bags which from their protection and from behind which they aim.

The firing from our batteries on James Island is sometimes very defective.

Colonel Harris, chief engineer, came, bringing with him assistants (Messrs. [Thomas M.] Healy and Poget.) I went over the work with Colonel Harris.

To-night I filled up pits formed by shots on the outside of our embrasures, carried the traverses up higher, and placed more earth on the bomb-proofs. The fatigue men were relieved at 4 o'clock.

Friday, 28th, detail of 100 for fatigue duty reported at 8 o'clock and were relieved at 5 p.m. I filled up sand-bags and left them as yesterday-at various points ready for the night. I built a new mortar bed and threw up a traverse; this to left of the 8-inch mortar in position and on the same face.

I had carpenters detailed for duty in the engineer department. It would be advisable to have carpenters and men who could act as overseer permanently detailed and stationed here. At present little work of his kind can be done, owing to the difficulty of obtaining suitable men, and the time occupied in reporting when a detail of this kind is made from day to day, and also to the general incompetency of the men for such duty.

The tools and 50 shovels arrived to-day. A grindstone is wanted. The embrasures of palmetto logs should be removed and sand-bags substituted. The effect of the shot of the 200-pounder Parrott gun upon them causes them to fly from position.

The fire of the enemy was, as usual, severe at about 4 p.m. This was to cover the mounting of gun near the beach in their lines, upon our left. They now have four mortars and a new battery mounted since my arrival, and their line of zigzags extends to 150 yards of our left face.

A man to-day was killed by one of our sharpshooters firing with buckshot.

To-night I built a flank or parapet outside of our sally-port on the sea face, extending from the end of our work to the sand-hills beyond. This is to relieve us from the fire of infantry in view of an assault from the beach and left. This may be built up higher.

Saturday, 29th. Began and worked during the day in the same manner, and at night finished the traverse in front of Magazine No. 2, and filled all the inequalities upon all parapets and bomb-proofs, so that, with the exception of the covering over the sally-port on