On the night of the 11th of July, under the orders of General Seymour, I built a line of rifle-pits some 20 or 30 yards beyond the position afterward occupied by the second parallel int he approaches to Fort Wagner.

On the 13th, I placed two 30-pounder Parrotts guns in position on the south bank of Saint Vincent's Creek, near where a battery of 30-pounders was afterward built.

On the 15th, I was directed to place five 10-inch siege mortars in position on the right and in front of the Beacon House. This was finished on the 16th, and that night the works in advance were placed under my charge. These works had been planned and almost finished by my predecessors, and it only remained for me to correct, as far as possible, some obvious defects. The details were worked to the best advantage until midnight on the 17th, when a very severe rain storm, which lasted until 8 or 9 a. m. on the 18th, compelled them to withdraw.

On the 27th of July, I was ordered by you to construct what were afterward known as the "left breaching batteries against Fort Sumter." Their site was on sand ridge, its general direction making an angle of about 35 degrees with the gorge of Fort Sumter, and distant about 4,200 yards from that work. A marsh, covered with water at high tide, separated this from the firm ground to the right. A dam, 8 feet thick, of sand piled against a center wall of sand-bags 2 feet thick, was built at the mouth of the stream that entered the marsh, which prevented the ingress of the tide, and allowed good, safe, and durable roads being made, with but little labor, to the rear of the batteries.

On the 27th of July, the interior crest of a sunken battery for five 100-pounder Parrott guns was laid out, with arrangements for one magazine to hold 200 rounds per gun, and a traverse 12 feet thick on top, between each gun and the one adjacent.

The position being within range of the enemy's batteries on James Island, ground was broken at night, a detail of 10 engineers and 100 men being employed for this purpose. A small detail of 10 engineers and 50 men were employed the next day, working as much as possible under cover, which, however, did not prevent the enemy shelling them.

July 29, a detail of 50 men worked all night, and, on the 30th and 31st, 80 and 100 men, respectively, for as the work progressed more men could be used with advantage and safety.

On July 31, the interior revetments of the first, second, fourth, and fifth batteries were completed and the excavation for the magazine ready to receive the frames. Owing to a change of armament, work was delayed from this time by your order.

On the 4th of August, I was ordered to finish the two batteries on the right for 200-pounder Parrott guns, and build a magazine for them. These were finished August 7, having embrasures with oblique directrices, and a field of fire from a little to our left of Fort Sumter to Battery Bee on Sullivan's Island, and soon after one 200-pounder was mounted.

The details for this work from the 4th to the 7th of August, inclusive, were as follows: Fifty on the 4th, 100 on the 5th, 100 on the 6th, in the day, and 200 at night, and 150 on the 7th, there being 10 engineers with each fatigue party.

On August 8, your ordered me to prepare a battery for three additional 100-pounder Parrott guns, making the whole breaching bat-