The troops began to arrive about daylight on the morning of November 17, and were placed in the positions respectively assigned to them except Reily's brigade, which was held in reserve in the streets of the town, by direction of the major-general commanding. I may remark that, during the whole siege, the positions, either of the artillery or the infantry, were scarcely changed.

As soon as any portion of the force arrived and was placed in position it was put at work to intrench itself, making use of tools brought from Kentucky by the Engineer Battalion. There were no others in Knoxville, except a few captured picks in the hands of the quartermaster, but he could not furnish either spades or shovels to accompany them.

The defenses thrown up at first were nothing but mere

rifle-trenches, having a profile 4 feet wide by 2 1/2 feet in depth, with a parapet of 2 feet in height, making the height from he bottom of the trench to the interior crest of the parapet of 4 1/2 feet.

Two forts were in a defensible condition, viz that occupied by Benjamin's battery and the one on Temperance Hill, the work upon them having been done by the Engineer Battalion.

The troops worked all day and night, and by daylight on the morning of the 18th were tolerably well under cover. Still the work was continued, the enemy being held at bay on the Kingston road by the cavalry under Sanders, and on the Clinton road by Colonel Pennebaker's mounted regiments. The hours in which to work that the gallant conduct of our cavalry secured us were worth to us 1,000 men each. It is sad that they were bought at such a price as the life of that most gallant, chivalric soldier and noble gentleman, General Sanders. (I hope I may be pardoned this allusion to the only classmate I had at the siege of Knoxville.)

General Sanders falling in front of the work occupied by Benjamin's battery, it seemed appropriate that the fort should be named after him, and upon its being suggested to the major-general commanding it was so ordered.

It was decided to dam First and Second Creeks. The dam across the former was made at the Vine street bridge, and proved very successful, making an obstacle in front of and parallel to Temperance Hill for two-thirds of a mile, which could only be crossed by building a bridge.

The dan across Second Creek was made at the culvert by which the creek passed under the railroad. The character of the creek was not so favorable as in the first instance, still a very considerable obstacle was created.

At daylight on the morning of November 19, our position had been much strengthened, and we began to feel secure and confident. Every man seemed conscious of the necessity for exertion and had made it, and with unflagging zeal the troops still continued the tasks imposed upon them. The citizens of the town, and all the contrabands within reach, were pressed into service, and relieved the almost exhausted soldiers, who had seen no rest for more then one hundred hours. Many of the citizens were rebels and worked with a very poor grace, which blistered hands did not tend to improve.

In anticipation of a necessity for giving up Mabry's Hill, and interior line of works was begun, running from Temperance Hill toward the river at Flint Hill. This line consisted of strong batteries at the extremities, connected by a line of

rifle-trenches, of the character described above.