operations before Blakely from the evening of April 3 up to and including the storming and capture of the rebel works on the evening of April 9, 1865:

At noon on the 3rd instant, in obedience to orders, the First Brigade broke camp, three miles east of Spanish Fort, and marched out on Blakely road about three miles and a half, and halted on the high hill overlooking the rebel works around Blakely on the left of General Steele's command, then investing the place and on the left of the Blakely road. As soon as the ground was examined in our front and by sunset the same day skirmishers were advanced and established within 800 yards of the enemy's works in front of the First Brigade, which rested on the Blakely road, on the right of the Second Division, Sixteenth Army Corps. The skirmishers and reserves were covered with light works under fire of the enemy's musketry and artillery. I continued to cause the line to be advanced cautiously and strengthened each day and night until the afternoon of the 5th instant, being then within 600 yards of rebel fortifications in our front, our line connecting with the Second Brigade on the left and with the Thirteenth Army Corps on the right. On the afternoon of the 5th instant, in obedience to orders from general commanding division, the First Brigade skirmish line was withdrawn from the right of the division and established on the left of the division, being the extreme left of our line fronting Blakely. My line was then and there established within 350 yards of rebel works and beyond the creek, left resting on a swamp and right connecting with Third Brigade, Second Division, Sixteenth Army Corps. This line was established under a heavy fire of artillery from the enemy's works, provoked by driving his skirmishers into the fort when our line was first advanced. This line was advanced and strengthened each day and night with suitable works on the skirmish and reserve lines until the afternoon of the 9th instant, then being within 300 yards of the enemy's works and under cross-fire from three different points. A few casualties had occurred during these operations. On the 9th, about 3 p.m. the general commanding ordered the brigade to be moved into position to support the advance of a strong skirmish line, which was to feel of the enemy's strength of forces and works, to move the skirmishers, forward at 5.30 p.m. I thereupon ordered Colonel T. J. Kinney, One hundred and nineteenth Illinois Infantry Volunteers, to be ready to move his regiment forward to the skirmish line, relieving the skirmishers then on duty, and to put the whole of his regiment into the advance rifle-pits. After he had examined the ground his regiment was put into the advance line about 5 p.m. The relieved skirmishers were ordered to join their regiments, and ammunition was brought forward to the advanced reserve line for distribution. As Colonel Kinney's regiment moved into the rifle-pits beyond the creek, the Eighty-ninth Indiana Infantry, under Lieutenant Colonel Hervey Craven, and Twenty-first Missouri Veteran Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Charles W. Tracy, were moved forward in line of battle just in Kinney's rear to the creek, which is about thirty yards in rear of the rifle-pits on the left not so far. The One hundred and twenty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Lieutenant Colonel James F. Drish, was formed in reserve opposite to and about 100 yards in rear of the center. Anticipating that it was necessary, in order to save my skirmish line in the advance (as the two supporting regiments must gradually separate in supporting the wings of the skirmish line), as soon as Colonel Kinney's line was ready I ordered the One hundred and twenty-second Illinois Infantry to move forward and overlap the Eighty-ninth Indiana and Twenty-first