Today in History:

326 Series I Volume XI-I Serial 12 - Peninsular Campaign Part I

Page 326 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, VA. Chapter XXIII.

mill, and from the mill up the two branches of the creek to the batteries. On the 19th very good progress was made on these roads. Colonel Alexander states that the men worked well, but their officers do not attach sufficient importance to the work to be performed, many of them lying under the shade in place of superintending the working parties. He suggests that an order from general headquarters addressed to officers with working parties might do some good. The number of men of these works is 2,817 and 122 officers on the 19th; on the 20th, 2, 188 men and 95 officers. Fair progress was made yesterday, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather. The roads from the mill to the batteries, or as far as they are laid out, may be completed to-morrow (21st), with the exception of covering the bridges. The work below the mill is much heavier than was anticipated, and will take more time. General Woodbury says he is sadly in want of wheelbarrows. Lieutenant McAlester was in charge of the works from 12 m. on the 19th until the date of this report, and Lieutenant McAlester report more details of the work, and also states that the work is delayed for the lack of wheelbarrows. Lieutenant Colonel B. S. Alexander relieved from construction of roads and assigned to duty at headquarters of General W. B. Franklin.

Monday and Tuesday, April 21 and 22.-Captain Duane's report is for the twenty-four hours ending at 6 a.m. to-day. He reports the condition of the batteries under his charge as follows:

Battery Numbers 1, finished, with the exception of traverses. Battery Numbers 2; parapet finished and magazine constructed and partly covered. Battery Numbers 3; very little was accomplished in this battery, the working party having been withdrawn early in the day. Battery Numbers 4 commenced and pretty well advanced. Battery Numbers 5 was commenced and carried up to the height of soles of embrasures. Battery Numbers 6 finished, except requiring some more earth on magazine.

Captain Duane says all the working parties were withdrawn before dark, and did not return; also, that no artillery officers reported at any of the batteries except Numbers 6. The report of General Woodbury states that 394 men and 13 officers are making gabions and 160 men and 5 officers are making fascines; 890 of the former and 887 of the latter are on hand and at the engineer depot, at the saw-mill, or in the vicinity; also a portion near the mortar battery. The report is signed by H. W. Bowers, assistant adjutant-general. Lieutenant McAlester reports, of the 3,000 men asked for 2,326 reported this morning for duty on military road, with 79 commissioned officers. Four hundred and sixty axmen were all employed in completing bridges, 25 men to work the wheelbarrows in covering the bridges, and the remainder of the forces were employed with picks and shovels in trimming and draining road in east-branch ravine, excavating and embanking throughout the entire extent of west-branch ravine and main ravine below the dam, and covering bridges as far as could be done without wheelbarrows. Lieutenant McAlester repeats his remark of yesterday, that the lack of a proper number of wheelbarrows essentially retards the completion of the roads. Captain Stewart reports that he, with Lieutenant Farquhar went to the battery near Wynn's Mill constructed by Captain Clark. The parapet is roughly constructed, and six platforms for guns in embrasures are done; on the right over 150 running feet of rifle pit has been finished and another commenced on its left. About 400 men were, he believes, at work at this during the day (April 21). The battery farther to the right is still more incompletely; the parapet is not quite finished. Three rough platforms are down and three embrasures without any. It was occupied by Ames' field battery of six guns.


Page 326 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, VA. Chapter XXIII.