FORTRESS MONROE, VA., November 28, 1864 - 11.40 a. m.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,

Commanding Armies, City Point:

I will await your coming and notify the admiral. Please telegraph me when you leave, so that I may be sure and meet you.

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS SIEGE TRAIN,
Broadway Landing, Va., November 28, 1864.

Brigadier General A. B. DYER,

Chief of Ordnance, U. S. Army:

GENERAL: At the request of Lieutenant J. A. Kress, Ordnance Corps, U. S. Army, chief ordnance officer, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, in the field, I have made a thorough test of the Amsterdam projectile for the 4 1/2-inch ordnance gun. The following table exhibits the results. Every care was taken to obtain goon practice. The officers had much experience with the projectiles in common use, and I regard the test as decisive. The charge was 5.25 pounds:

Battery Comman-ding Eleva-tion. Number Took Tumbled Uncer-tain

officer fired Grooves

2.08 1 1

-----

-----

{

2.08 4 1 3

-----

Fort Captain 3.10 1 1

-----

-----

Brady.. Pierce{

3.15 177 45 113 19

{4.45 41 8 28 5

Battery Lieute- 5.08 4 1

-----

3

17.. nant

Rogers{

5.30 8 7

-----

1

Fort Lieute-nant 4.30 2 1

-----

1

Morton.. Patter-

son {

4.45 1

-----

-----

1

Total..

-------

-----

239 65 144 30

Continuation:

Battery Comman-ding Burst Burst Did not Uncer-tain Re-marks

officer well at burst

muzzle

1

-----

-----

-----

Per-cuss-ion

{

-----

-----

3 1 Do

Fort Captain 1

-----

-----

-----

Do

Brady.. Pierce{

70 19 48 40 Do

{22 25 10 4 Do

Battery Lieute-

-----

3

-----

1 Do

17.. nant

Rogers{

5

-----

1 2 Do

Fort Lieute-nant 1 1

-----

-----

Time-fuse

Morton.. Patter-

son {

-----

-----

-----

1 Do

Total..

-------

100 28 62 49

As to taking the rifled motion: Where 65 were successful 144 failed: a number which should probably be increased to 172, inasmuch as those bursting at the muzzle were counted as uncertain, while in reality they doubtless burst on account of not taking the grooves. The fuse is also apparently defective, 62 failing where 100 burst properly, to say nothing of the large number, 28, of premature explosions. The premature explosions, and the very dangerous stripping of lead, rendered it unsafe to fire from Battery 17 and Fort Morton. At Fort Brady, where there are no pickets in front, the firing was continued until it was feared that the bad practice might encourage the rebels. I am satisfied that the projectile is very much inferior to that of Parrott and Schenkl, and have accordingly ordered the issue of it to my batteries to cease.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

HENRY L. ABBOT,

Colonel First Connecticut Artillery, Commanding Siege Train.