THE VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN.

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the city, eastward, then southerly around to the Jackson road, full three milesback of the city; thence in a south-westerly direction to the river. Deepravines of the description given lay in front of these defenses.

As there is a succession of gullies, cut out by rains, along the side of theridge, the line was necessarily very irregular. To follow each of these spurswith intrenehments, so as to command the slopes on either side, -wouldhave lengthened their line very much. Generally, therefore, or in manyplaces, their line would run from near the head of one gully nearly straightto the head of another, and an outer work, triangular in shape, generallyopen in the rear, was thrown up on the point; with a few men in this outerwork they commanded the approaches to the main line completely.

The work to be done to make our position as strong against the enemy ashis was against us, was very great. The problem was also complicated byour wanting our line as near that of the enemy as possible. We had but fourengineer officers with us. Captain F. E. Prime, of the Engineer Corps , was thechief, and the work at the beginning was mainly directed by him. His healthsoon gave out, when he was succeeded by Captain Cyrus B. Comstock , alsoof the Engineer Corps . To provide assistants on such a long line, I directedthat all officers who had been graduated at W est Point, where they had neces-sarily to study military engineering, should, in addition to their other duties,assist in the work.

The chief quartermaster and the chief commissary were graduates. Thechief commissary, now the commissary-general of the army [General RobertMacfeely], begged off, however, saying that there was nothing in engineeringthat he was good for, unless he would do for a sap-roller. As soldiersrequire rations while working in the ditches as well as when marchingand fighting, and we would be sure to lose him if he was used as a sap-roller, I let him off. The general is a large man,—weighs two hundred andtwenty pounds, and is not tall.

We had no siege-guns except six 32-pounders, and there were none in theWest to draw from. Admiral Porter, however, supplied us with a battery ofnavy-guns, of large caliber, and with these, and the field-artillery used in thecampaign, the siege began. The first thing to do was to get the artillery inbatteries, where they would occupy commanding positions; then establish thecamps, under cover from the fire of the enemy, but as near up as possible;nnd then construct rifle-pits and covered ways, to connect the entire commandby the shortest route. The enemy did not harass us much while we were con-structing our batteries. Probably their artillery ammunition was short; andtheir infantry was kept down by our sharp-shooters, who -were always on thealert and ready to fire at a head whenever it showed itself above the rebelWorks.

In no place were our lines more than six hundred yards from the enemy.It was necessary, therefore, to cover our men by something more than theordinary parapet. To give additional protection sand-bags, bullet-proof, werePlaced along the tops of the parapets, far enough apart to make loop-holes forMusketry. On top of these, logs were put. By these means the men were

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