were very annoying, and could only be reached from one or two positions. Batteries Nos. 6 and 8 were designed to silence these. A right branch was added to Numbers 8 to use the guns of the battery in reverse and enfilade against the enemy's north bastion, as ordered on the 31st. Batteries 11 and 12 were added with the same view, and to sweep the side of the deep ravine running to the water battery and flanking approaches to south and middle bastions.

On the 31st [30th] of March the First Division, Thirteenth Army Corps, received orders to march without its batteries, and its place in line was temporarily supplied by the Third Brigade, First Division, Sixteenth Army Corps, Colonel Marshall, Seventh Minessota Volunteers, commanding, and afterward by an extension of the left of the Third Division, Thirteenth Army Corps, to connect with the right of the First Brigade, Second Division, Thirteenth Army Corps, which made this part of the line quite weak. On the afternoon of the 4th instant all our guns in position opened for two hours before sunset, after which there was little artillery fire from the enemy's work except from mortars, both 8-inch siege and Coehorn. At sunset of the 8th instant a similar cannonade broke out and the usual picket-firing continued until about 11 p. m., when it was discovered that the place was evacuated. On the 6th the mortars from No 2 were moved into Numbers 13 to silence a mortar in middle bastion, shelling working parties in Numbers 8 severely. It promptly effected the desired object. The mortars from Numbers 2 were moved into Numbers 11. Those from Numbers 7 were to be placed in Numbers 12, and were moving on the night of the 8th. The batteries were constructed as follows: Nos. 2 and 5 were begun on 31st and finished on 2nd instant; Numbers 1 was begun on 1st and finished on 4th instant; Numbers 6 was begun on 2nd and finished on 3rd instant; Numbers 8 was begun on 2nd and finished on 5th instant; Nos. 11 and 13 were begun on 6th and finished on 7th instant. Numbers 12 was begun on 7th and finished on 8th instant. The total lenghth of trenched, exclusive of batteries, constructed in front of the Third Division, Brigadier-General Benton commanding, after occupying line of First Division, Brigadier General James C. Veatch commanding, was: Lenghth of first parallel, 2,050 yards; average distance of parallel from work, 800 yards; second parallel (discontinuous), 2.200 yards; average distance of second parallel, 450 yards. Total lenghth of saps, 1,650 yards. Distance of head of sap to fort, 300 yards; distance of head of sap to enemy's rifle-pits, 250 yards. In front of First Brigade, Second Division, Colonel Henry Bertram, Twentieth Wisconsin Volunteers, commanding: Lenghth of first parallel, 1,000 yards; average distance of first parallel from works, 1,250 yards; second parallel, 600 yards; average distance of second parallel, 750 yards; third parallel, 600 yards; average distance of third parallel, 550 yards; total length of saps, 2,400 yards; distance head of sap to fort, 237 yards; distance head of sap to enemy's rifle-pits, 100 yards.

On examination the south basion proved to be a lunette of strong profile, a command of some twenty-five feet over road and ridge approaching it, a regular covered way with embrasures and artillery, a carefully constructed abatis and chevaux-de-firse, and many torpedoes made with 12-pound shell. The narrow ridge along which the road ran, and which one sap was following, was found to be good ground and otherwise unobstructed. With the exception of the water battery which from its position was unassailable, this south bastion was decidedly the strongest and most carefully fortified part of the work. The