neer officer less cause to complain of the manner in which his instructions and directions were carried out.

And here I feel it my duty to refer to the great value of the services of the contrabands. Tractable and willing (many of them came to me and wolunteered to work), they did and amount of work which was truly astonishing. Day and night they worked without a murmur. For the first week they labored regularly eighteen hours out of the twenty-four, and during the whole siege, out of nearly 200 that we had at work, only one asked to be excused, and he for only one afternoon.

The question of supplies during the siege was second to none in importance. The failure of the enemy to close the Sevierville road and French Broad River enabled us even to accumulate a quantity of commissary stores. I was told that it was officially reported at the beginning of the siege that we had on hand full supplies for only one day a half, yet, after nineteen days' siege, we had accumulated to such an extent over the lines just referred to that we had provisions enough to last ten days.

The topography of the vicinity of Knoxville may be briefly described as follows:

On the north bank of the river a narrow ridge is formed, extending from a point about 2 1/2 miles east of Knoxville to Lenoir's. It has an average base of about 1 1/2 miles in width. At Knoxville the width is about 1 mile. This ridge is cut through at short intervals by small streams, two of which, First and Second Creeks, run through the town of Knoxville, at a distance from each other of about three-fourths of a mile. The main part of the town is built upon that portion of the ridge bounded on the northwest by the valley; on the southwest be Second Creek; on the southeast by the Holston River and one the northeast by First Creek. It has the appearance of a table elevated about 150 feet above the river and about 100 feet above the valley. Again, Third Creek is found about seven-eighths of a mile below Second Creek, forming a second similar table. A depression in the ridge, about the same distance east of First Creek, forms still another table, upon which is built East Knoxville. This elevated ground is called Temperance Hill. From this eastward the ridge is more broken until it disappears, and other ridges spring up. This last division is known as Mabry's Hill, and is the highest ground by some 20 feet to be found on the north side of the river within cannon range of Knoxville. Commencing at Third Creek and going eastward these tables may be numbered 1,2,3, and 4. A succession of ridges, all parallel to the one alluded to above, are found at short distances apart as one goes back from river, the most important of which is at an average distance of 1 mile from the one Knoxville is situated upon, and is that which the enemy occupied. As near as can ascertained by a pocket level, its elevation is exactly that of table No. 1 at its highest point.

In selecting lines, it was my opinion that tables Nos.1,2,3, and 4 should be occupied.

In this opinion the general commanding concurred, except regarding No. 4. It was a question whether it was most prudent with out small force to attempt to occupy No. 4, or to limit our occupation in force to Nos.1,2, and 3, simply holding No. 4 with a strong outpost.

It seemed to me that we could (as we did) construct lines on No. 4, and also on No. 3, those on No. 4 to be thrown so far to the front that they could not be made available against us in event of