Today in History:

387 Series I Volume XXXIX-II Serial 78 - Allatoona Part II

Page 387 Chapter LI. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.

Fort Jones. - Completed; Battery Studdiford and its magazine completed.

fort Bramlette. - Magazine nearly finished; bomb-proof nearly covered. The force has averaged 30 hired negroes. Detailed survey and amp of front of principal line of defense completed.

FRANKFORT.

A redoubt was commenced on the 1st of the mouth in the rear of Fort Boone. The work has been done entirely by the State of Kentucky. The force averaged 30 men during the greater part of the month, but about its close 50 prisoners were added to it, and the State authorities commenced the impressment of negroes from the vicinity.

LOUISVILLE.

Four inclosed works were laid out about the 1st of August; they have been numbered in the order in which they were commenced; they average a mile a Part and cover the most important part of the city. Numbers 1. - A large irregular bastioned work; parapet two- THIRDs done; ditch half done; revetment commenced; three barbettes built; well dug; cavalier battery, inside two-THIRDs done.


Numbers 2. - Small redoubt; parapet, sod revetment, and ditch one- half done; six embrasures cut and revetted; two barbettes built.


Numbers 3. - Parapet one-quarter done; military road to Numbers 4 done.


Numbers 4. - Small redoubt; parapet one-quarter done; map of vicinity of Louisville one-quarter done.

The work done during the month of August, except superintendence and carpenters, was paid for by the city. General Ewing, commanding Second DIVISION, District of Kentucky, directed the mayor to furnish 400 citizens for fatigue duty. Instead of so doing the city council voted to hire 400 men for three weeks, at $45 per month or $1. 73 per day.

All arrangements concerning time and pay of these men have been made with the city by Captain J. M. Hewett, who had orders from General Ewing to that effect. I have avoided having the slightest connection with the business, for fear of making the engineer department at all responsible for paying the men. The city council having expended all that their charter allowed them at the end of August, I have, by your direction, since the 1st of September hired laborers, paying white men $1. 50 per day of actual work, and free negroes $1 per day.

In addition to paid laborers, General Ewing directed Captain Hewett to impress idlers found around disreputable establishments, and idle free negroes, &c., found about the streets. These it is not proposed to pay. In all they number about thirty.

LEXINGTON AND MOUNT STERLING.

Mr. William A. Gunn, assistant U. S. engineer, assisted by Mr. J. T. Halsted, U. S. engineer, in charge of fortifications at Lexington and Mount Sterling, reports:

MOUNT STERLING.

The fort was staked off at Mount Sterling upon the site opposite the cemetery on July 10, as directed by yourself, from the plan of the immediate locality I had surveyed and submitted to you. Mr. John t. Halsted was left in immediate charge of the work as assistant engineer, and Captain Chinoweth, of the Thirty-seventh Kentucky Infantry, was detailed to take charge of the force to execute the work. The amount of work done up to the 1st of September is 1,797 days' work of ten hours each. The work was done in three reliefs, but this is the net result reduced to regular days' work. As the result of this work the earth-work of the fort is thrown up to within a foot of its full height, and within two feet of its full thickness on an average. The revetment is set, and a brush frise set around it, though it is expected to strengthen this considerably. Timber has been cut away and trimmed up in the vicinity to prevent obstructions of the view and the material use on the fort. The platforms for eight guns have been built and the magazine dug out. One yoke of oxen are used regularly plowing the earth in the ditch.

LEXINGTON.

At Lexington no force was furnished till the 12th of August, and the amount of work done since then is 701 days' work of ten hours each up to the 1st instant. The result of this work is the earth thrown up to the level of the banquette all around. A plow and pair of horses have been used about half the time upon this work. Private Charles Moore has assisted me in this work, and is very efficient, as is Mr. Halsted.


Page 387 Chapter LI. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.