No. 32. Reports of Lieutenant Colonel Victor Vifquain, Ninety-seventh Illinois Infantry, of operations April 2-9.

HDQRS. NINETY-SEVENTH ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS,
Siege of Blakely, Ala., April 9, 1865.

CAPTAIN: In accordance with the instructions of General Andrews, the following is my report of the progress of the work in the trenches in front of the Second Brigade:

The third parallel was extended left and right, so as to cover the whole front of the brigade, with the exception of some twenty yards on the extreme right. Some ninety yards of the parallel on the right have not been quite finished yet, but a detail of the Sixty-ninth Indiana and of the Seventy-sixth Illinois are giving in now its full width. A detail of the Ninety-seventh Illinois is digging an approach on the left, but on account of the enemy filling the ditch with shells and burying the men, the work progresses slowly. I have given instructions to throw the earth from the enemy and make the ditch six feet deep. The center gun of the second parallel silenced the left gun of the enemy's fort on the telegraph road at about 9.30 a.m. this day, exploding one shell quite straight into the center of the embrasure, and a solid shot, by ricochet, immediately afterward taking start at the same point, and in my opinion upset the rebel gun, as from that time they have ceased their fire, which in the early part of the morning was very rapid. A detail of the Twenty-fourth Indiana is at work at an approach on the extreme right toward the third parallel. As soon as possible I will start an approach from the extreme right of the third parallel toward the telegraph road fort. Here joining is a rough sketch of the works.*

Yours, very respectfully,

VICTOR VIFQUAIN,

Lieutenant-Colonel Ninety-seventh Illinois Volunteers.

Captain G. MONROE,

Asst. Adjt. General, Second Division, Thirteenth Army Corps.

HDQRS. NINETY-SEVENTH ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS,
Blakely, Ala., April 10, 1865.

CAPTAIN: Pursuant to instructions from brigade headquarters, the following is my report of the siege and assault on Blakely, Ala.:

On Sunday, the 2nd of April, my regiment took position on the left of the brigade on the investing line around Blakely. The same night the line of circumvallation was dug, and every day the regiment worked at the trenches, and on the 8th of April completed their part of the third parallel at a distance of 400 [yards] of the enemy, and our left and center immediately in front of the fort redoubt on the east side of the Stockton and Blakely road. During these six days of siege the enemy kept up a very severe fire of artillery and musketry, sending their shells far over our camp and often exploding them in it. On the 9th of April, at 5 p.m., I received instructions to deploy my regiment as skirmishers in front of our brigade and to charge the enemy at 5.30 p.m. At 5.30 p.m. precisely my regiment assaulted the enemy, and five minutes afterward my flag waved on the rebel works; the enemy making a most terrible resistance, and our advance impeded by artificial obstructions, my loss was rather heavy, going into battle with about 500 men

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*See p.213.

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