embrasures, and platforms. A new bomb-proof magazine, near the main battery, approached by a bomb-proof covered way of capacity sufficient to hold 100 rounds for ten guns, was rapidly constructed, under the direction of Captain Beaumont, and Lieutenant H. S. Bedford, acting adjutant of the battalion.

Captain J. P. Shuster, who had reported to me for duty by order of General A. S. Johnston, was appointed chief of the battalion, and under his direction the ammunition and stores necessary for ten guns were arranged in the magazine, with matches, port-fires, lanterns, &c. The men were divided into detachments of 15 to a gun, with supernumeraries to each, and each detachment assigned under its chief to its gun and each man to his place at the gun, and their duties explained to them in case of an attack by day or night.

By February 10 we had our batteries finished and ten 32-pounder guns mounted, and there were only two other guns not mounted - the columbiad and rifled guns.

The 10-inch columbiad was mounted about January 25, but upon firing in the shock threw it back against the hunters, and the recoil threw the chassis off the pintle, and the counter-shock threw the muzzle of the gun so violently against the transombar as to injure the carriage. In this condition (like the one at Fort Henry it was useless. I therefore dismounted it, remodeled the platform, and sent an officer to the rolling-mill and had new rear traverse wheels cast 4 inches greater in diameter. These wheels were cast and sent to us only in time to enable us to remount this important gun. With its new wheels it worked like a charm.

The rifled gun, throwing a conical shell of 128 pounds, was sent to us about February 1 from Nashville, but neither pintle nor pintle plate (without which it could not be mounted) was sent with it. I at once sent Lieutenant G. T. Mooran, of the artillery, to Nashville, to procure these and other fixtures necessary for this and other guns, and we only obtained these indispensable fixtures two days before the fight, and scarcely intimae to mount this gun. It was, however, successfully mounted on the 11th.

Our batteries, being now in order, were manned and commanded as follow: Captain Beaumont's company at the five 32-pounder next the river; Captain Bidwell's company, with the other four guns, to the left, including the 10-inch columbiad; each with several lieutenants, all under the eye of Captain Shuster, commander of battalion; Captain Dixon, engineer, and Lieutenant Jacob Culbertson, C. S. Army, on special duty with me. Captain Ross (just arrived from Hopkinsville), having given up his light battery, with his men took charge of the half-moon battery, composed of the rifled gun and two ship carronades, furnishing a detachment, under Lieutenant Stankieuriz (Captain Taylor's company), to man the 8-inch howitzer and the two 9-pounder nondescript. Captain Maney's light battery took post on the left of the rifle trenches, in General Pillow's division, and was not under my further charge. The light battery and horses of Captain Ross' company were placed under Lieutenant Parker, with a volunteer infantry company to man them, and stationed at the grave-yard, above Dover.

On the 12th (Wednesday) the gunboats made their approach, but did not venture within the range of our guns; but early the next morning, a vigorous attack having been made upon our whole line by the enemy, the gunboats opened a spirited fire upon our batteries, throwing during the forenoon about 150 shot and shell large rifle and smooth-bore guns. Their fire was returned with spirit by our guns, a shot piercing