river. As already stated, the enemy made several attempts to get possession of these heights, the first being made on Sunday, November 15, by a heavy force of cavalry, under the command of Wheeler, which was repulsed by Sanders' division of cavalry, which had been guarding the right bank of the Little Tennessee, and had gradually fallen back before Wheeler's heavier force. Sanders was assisted by Cameron's brigade of infantry. From these heights an artillery fire can be delivered in front of each flank of the lines on the north side of the river. Commencing with the most easterly hill (which we called Sevierville Hill) and numbering them 1,2,3, and 4, our works were as follows: On No. 1, only rifle-trenches; on No. 2, Fort Stanley; on No. 3, Fort Dickerson; on No. 4, Fort Higley. Nos.1 and 2 were connected by rifle-trenches, while Nos.3 and 4, though not connected, each was well provided with rifle-trenches to cover the infantry supports of the batteries. With sufficient time this disposition could be very much improved by making the several forts of such a character (building bomb-proofs for stores and cisterns for water) that each would be self-reliant.

The siege of Knoxville passed into history. If mistakes were made in the defense, they were covered by the cloak of success. That many were made in the attack was apparent to us all. That the rebels made a great in besieging is as evident as it now is that to accept siege at Knoxville was a great stroke of military policy. The results of the successful defense are: the defeat of Bragg's army and consequent permanent established of our forces at Chattanooga, with tolerably secure lines of communication; the confirmation of our hold upon East Tennessee; the discomfiture of and loss of prestige by the choicest troops of the enemy's service.

There is no language sufficiently strong which I can use to express admiration of the conduct of our troops. From the beginning of the siege to the end every man did his whole duty. The cheerful looks and confident bearing which met us at every turn made it seem as though we were sure of victory from the first. It is doubtful whether any man within our lines at any time after the first

forty-eight hours any fear of the result. All privations were borne, all hardships undergone with a spirit which indicated as plainly as if written on the walls that success would attend our efforts. And is there any man of that part of the Army of the Ohio which was in Knoxville who would exchange his nineteen days of service there for any other of the achievements of his life? Was there a regiment there which will not put Knoxville as proudly on its banners as they now bear Roanoke or New Berne, Williamsburg or Fair Oaks, Chantilly or South Mountain, Antietam or Vicksburg?

The troops of the Ninth Army Corps, and of the Twenty-third, were chivalric rivals where duty was to be done. Never had an engineer officer less cause to complain of the manner in which his instructions and directions were carried out. And here I feel it my duty to refer to the great value of the services of the contrabands. Tractable and willing (many of them came to me and volunteered to work), they did an amount of work which was truly astonishing. Day and night they worked without a murmur. For the first week they labored regularly eighteen hours out of the

twenty-four, and during the whole siege, out of nearly 200 that we had at work, only 1 asked to be excused, and he for only one afternoon.

The question of supplies during the siege was second to none in importance. The failure of the enemy to close the Sevierville road