At this latter place the rebel army was strongly intrenched. The place was first invested by our army on the north and east, when, its strength being fully ascertained, Sherman marched his army to the south, defeating the rebels at Jonesborough and Lovejoy's, thus investing it on the south and compelling Hood to evacuate this stronghold.

The annexed narrative, collated from the report of Brevet Brigadier-General O. M. Poe, U. S. Army, captain of engineers, gives the important incidents connected with its capture, and furnishes plans of the rebel defenses. (See plan Numbers 2*; see narrative annexed.)

While these movements and successes of the armies under Thomas and Sherman were in progress, General Grant ordered a division of his army under General Terry to co-operate with the navy in the reduction of the defenses of the mouth of Cape Fear River in January, 1865.

Captain Comstock, of the Corps of Engineers (lieutenant-colonel, aide-de-camp, brevet brigadier-general of volunteers), had charge of the engineer operations of this expedition.

Fort Fisher, situated at and commanding the northern entrance of this river, was found to be the key of the position. Plans Nos. 5 and 6 +give the details of the defenses constructed by our army to cover its landing and its rear while operating on Fort Fisher.

A bombardment by the fleet, resulting in dismounting many of the guns on the land front of the work, as well as cutting the electric wires for exploding a formidable system of mines on the same front, preceded a successful assault by the troops of mines on the same front, preceded a successful assault by the troops under General Terry.

The accompanying plans Nos. 5 and 6, with extracts from General Comstock's report, give the details of the rebel fortifications and those thrown up by our troops. (See General Comstock's report, annexed.)

Later in the season General Canby concentrated the troops under his command and moved to the attack of the city of Mobile, having the co-operation of the navy. The labors of the engineers under Captain McAlester (brevet major, U. S. Army), Captain Palfrey (brevet lieutenant-colonel, U. S. Army), Lieutenant Burnham (brevet major, U. S. Army), and others, were here called into requisition.

Blakely (see plan Numbers 7++) was invested, batteries constructed and opened upon the formidable rebel batteries covered by strong intrenchments, with abatis surrounding their entire position, with its flanks resting on the Blakely River.

Plan Numbers 7, with extracts from the report of Major McAlester, gives the details of the operations, final assault and destruction of the rebel defenses on the 8th of April, 1865. (See McAlester's report, annexed.)

Spanish Fort was at the same time invested by our army, and the more formidable siege operations of a first and second parallel with approaches and enfilading batteries became necessary, and resulted finally in the capture of the rebel defenses by assault, on the 8th and 9th of April, 1865. (See plan Numbers 8.$)

These defenses and approaches are given in detail on plans Nos. 7 and 8, which, with extracts from Major McAlester's report, will explain and illustrate this well-designed and skillfully executed siege.

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*Plate LXXXVIII, Map 1, of the Atlas.

+Plate LXXV, Maps 1 and 2, of the Atlas.

++Plate LXXI, Map 14, of the Atlas.

$Plate LXXXIX, Map 7, of the Atlas.

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