The brigade was formed in line and we took position on the left. During the night we threw up temporary fortifications in our front. I also supported the skirmishers till about 11 p.m., when I was relieved by the One hundred and sixty-first New York Infantry. March 27, we marched to the front quite early and threw up some temporary fortifications and remained there till the lines of the division and brigade were formed, when we moved up and drove the enemy into his fortifications at Spanish Fort. I had a company of eighty men in the skirmish line, and am sure that they, with the skirmishers of Twenty-first Iowa, advanced farther and nearer the enemy's works than any on the entire line. I had one man, Corporal Robinson, badly wounded during the day. March 28. This day was spent in making fortifications and arranging camp for the siege. March 29, worked in the trenches most of the day; was relieved by Second Brigade. March 30, owing to an alarm last night and some confusion in camp in getting in line, I had the men construct in the forenoon a rifle-pit for their own defense. Private Reuben Jones was killed about noon by a shell while in his tent writing to his family. About 3 p.m. we were ordered to march in the direction of Holyoke's house for the purpose of opening communication with General Steele and his command. We reached there about noon of the 31st, and that day and the one succeeding was spent in camp.

On the evening of the 2nd of April we marched to Sibley's Mills, and there joined General Steele's command. At 3 o'clock on the morning of the 3rd we marched, with fifty rounds of ammunition and without knapsacks, to the front. We remained in line in different places and positions till about 10 o'clock, when we went into camp near Blakely. We did little but hold ourselves in readiness to move at a moment's notice till the 7th instant, when we relieved the Forty-seventh Indiana in the trenches. I had most of the men at work during the night, and advanced our lines greatly to our advantage. About 3 o'clock on the morning of the 8th the enemy made an advance against our lines, which was easily repulsed. The enemy was in small force. This was the occasion of considerable shelling by the enemy, but no one was injured on our side. During the 8th we kept up a continuous skirmish fire with the enemy, which was interspersed with artillery, with but small loss. I had 2 men wounded in the head and 7 buried by a shell, some of whom were injured. At 8 p.m. we were relieved by the Twenty-ninth Illinois Infantry, marched to camp, and found orders awaiting us to join Major General A. J. Smith, at Spanish Fort. Notwithstanding our tour of twenty-six hours in the trenches, the men at once replenished their cartridge-boxes and marched without a word of complaint. We did not reach Spanish Fort till we received orders that we were not wanted, and were consequently ordered back to camp, which place we reached about 3 a.m. of the 9th. This day was mostly spent in camp and in cleaning up arms, &c. At 6 p.m. I went out to see the assault on the enemy's lines. They were assaulted at the precise time and carried in five minutes after the advance commenced. Too much praise cannot be given to the assaulting column. On the 10th of April we marched up to the right of our lines and went into camp, where we remained till the evening of the 11th, when we were ordered to march against Mobile. We marched back to Spanish Fort, and about three miles below that point we embarked on board Tin-clad Numbers 41, and together with transports sufficient to carry two divisions of our corps (the Thirteenth), sailed for the city. Before we got up to the obstructions in the bay the fleet was met by flag of truce, informing us that the Confederates, after the evacuation of Spanish Fort and Blakely, had evacuated Mobile.