336

JOURNAL OF THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOFOL.

Left Attack. i

platforms ; ten men were employed in No. 9 battery, [botli reliefs, repairing revetment and revetting cm- |brasures ; ten men were employed in No. 13 battery, !1st relief, and 20 men, 2d relief, in excavating forpowder magazine, clearing up this battery ; ten menwere employed in 1st relief in blasting in No. 1 boyau,and six men, 2d relief ; a party of six men, 1st relief,were employed in blasting through roadway in thecommunication from No. 5 to No. 9 batteries, and40 men were employed in the 2d relief in improvingthe cover in the trench to the right of No. 15. Theenemy did not fire on the working parties withartillery, but were annoying from the constant riflefire from the salient of the Itedan. I could detect noworking parties in the enemy’s works.

P.S.—The magazine frames of No. 16 magazinewere fixed.

Right Attack.

to allow of work by day ; the trench in rear of thoseplaced on the night previous is of a good depth, butrequires widening banquette ; a step was formed atthe same time with the stones excavated ; one Sapperand 25 men.

2. Quarries, two Sappers and 16 men. This partywas employed in improving the parapet of this work,which has become injured by the constant shelling itreceives at night. The earth was excavated fromthe terrepleine of the work, and thrown over.

3. Old Russian trench, fourth parallel, half brigadeSappers and 140 men. These men were distributedalong about 160 running yards of this trench, deepen-ing and widening the trench, and at the same timestrengthening the parapet. There is now fair cover inall this portion. The soil in places is very rocky, andthe earth to form the parapet has to be brought inbaskets. The most advanced portion of the work hasyet to be widened from four to five feet.

4. General’s hut, Left advance, one Sapper and 15men, employed in excavating for the erection of asplinter-proof hut for the accommodation of thegeneral of the trenches. During this relief the work-ing party sunk the entrance and interior space threefeet, making about six cubic yards done in the relief;the excavation was level with the trench.

5. No. 18 battery, seven Sappers and 167 men.This party was employed during the early part of therelief in throwing up earth on to the parapet whichhad been excavated in the rear of the terrepleineduring the preceding relief; subsequently they ex-cavated and threw up on the parapet about 20 cubicyards.

The quantity appears small, but it must be bornein mind that from the width of terrepleine it takestwo and sometimes three rows of shovellers to throwup the earth.

6. 2-gun portion, left of No. 9, two Sappers and tenmen. The excavation for the magazine in rear of theseguns was deepened. The enemy fired several roundsat this party ; they were in consequence obliged towork low, and at a disadvantage ; however tlievsucceeded in deepening the excavation two feet.

7. Widening trenches, Right advance, two Sappersand 40 men. These men were employed in improvingthe communication between the third parallel and theRight approaches. The soil was unfavourable.