the guns he found on the enemy. Through the whole day, notwithstanding the repeated attempts made by the enemy to retake the works, Captain Ritchie held his own, though at times avoidably short of ammunition he encouraged his support be cheering representations and personal exposure.

A working party of sixty men detailed from field batteries and provided with the necessary tools was organized under Captain Eaton, Twenty-seventh New York Battery, to open a way through the breastworks so that artillery could pass through and follow up the success of the assaulting column. Captain Eaton executed this work admirably and advanced two of his own pieces to the open ground in front of our works, where, notwithstanding the great exposure to the fire of the enemy, they were worked thought the entire day.

The enemy still holding rear lines of their works in close proximity it was not advisable or necessary to advance other pieces.

During the night of April 2 a constant fire was kept up from Battery Numbers 5 and Fort McGilvery on the bridge across the Appomattox River, over which it was supposed the enemy might be retreating. It is fair to presume that this fire was of considerable annoyance to the enemy.

Early in the morning of the 3rd it was discovered that the enemy had withdrawn from their lines and were in rapid retreat. Brevet Captain Stone, Fifth U. S. Artillery, immediately followed with his battery over the skirmish line and entered Petersburg simultaneously with the infantry.

Fourteen thousand two hundred and fifty-one rounds is the amount of artillery ammunition expended during the engagement.

The operations herein detailed differ but little from the occurrences which almost daily transpired from the 17th of June, when the line of Petersburg was first taken, up to the 3rd of April. During this entire time the artillery was kept constantly on the alert. Every movement of the enemy was observed, and all working parties strengthening or extending their works were at once driven under over by the admirable practice of our artillerists. The same vigilance and practice being observed by the enemy, the result was an almost daily or nightly cannonading.

Too much praise cannot be awarded to the officers and men of the artillery for the cheerful, patient, and hopeful manner in which, under the most trying circumstances, they performed their duties.

On the 3rd, Major Miller, inspector of artillery, set about collecting the field pieces and ammunition abandoned by the enemy. The following is a description of the twenty guns captured in front of the lines occupied by the corps.

Numbers 1.-A Parrott gun, 3-inch, manufactured by J. R. A. & Co. Numbers 2180. Carriage made at Washington Arsenal.

Numbers 2.-A Parrott gun, 3-inch, manufactured by J. R. A. & Co. Numbers 2170. Carriage made by Wood & Bross. New York. 1844.

Numbers 3.-A. U. S. Parrott, 3-inch. Numbers 95. 1861. R. P. P. W. P. F. maker.

Numbers 4.-A U. S. Parrott, 3-inch. No mark.

Numbers 5.-A howitzer, iron, 4 1/2-inch, manufactured J. R. A. & Co.

Numbers 6.-A boat howitzer, 24-pounder, manufactured by the Ames Manufacturing Company. Numbers 111. 1297-98.

Numbers 7.-A U. S. light 12-pounder brass gun. Numbers 33 1862. Manufactured by the Ames Manufacturing Company.

Numbers 8.-A Dahlgren 12-pounder gun. Numbers 1817. Manufactured by J. R. A. & Co.; 1,220 pounds weight.

68 R R-VOL XLVI, PT I