IN TIME OF WAR.

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completes the battery, constructs the powder magazines,and mounts the guns on the platforms as fast as they arrive,that the battery may be ready to open at break of day.While the batteries are erecting, a part of the line maketwo trenches of communication between the flanks of thebattery and the nearest parallel; this detachment is likewiserelieved every 12 hours.

53. In level batteries, the figure is first marked out withfascines picketed to the ground, and not less than 20 feetallowed for its thickness when the foil is firm and tena-cious, and 25 feet when it is light or sandy ; leaving a berm5 or 6 feet wide on the exterior fide. The workmen thenbegin to dig the ditch, throwing up the earth to raise the bat-tery ; upon the second fascine, on the exterior face is placeda layer of long pickets, and on the interior face another row offascines, which gives the height of the cell of the embra-sure. The ditch instead of being widened should be deep-ened as much as possible the first night, that the pioneersmay the next day work under cover. The battery is seldomraised above feet high the first night: the merlons aretraced in the manner before directed. At break of daythis working party is relieved by another consisting of halftheir number ; they enlarge the ditch all the day, throwingup the earth to form the battery or merlons, if traced.When the embrasures have not been marked out, thesenior officer plants the pickets at sun-set for determiningtheir direction, and completes the tracing of the merlonsat the arrival of the fresh working party, which should beas numerous as in the preceding night; for the fake ofdispatch, a proportion of work is allotted to each man, thatthe battery may if possible be finished that night, whichhowever rarely happens when the nights are short. Duringthis night also the platforms are laid, and some guns broughtto the battery, if they be covered from the enemy’s fireduring the next day. The following day and night areemployed in constructing the powder magazines, completingthe batteries, and preparing every thing for opening themon the third morning at fun rife. During the first nightalso, the communications between the flanks of the batteries,and the nearest parallel are made, that in cafe of a sally fromthe town, every part of the trenches may be mutually sup-ported.

54. In constructing batteries on cavaliers, the first step isto raise the ground to the same height as the intermediate

ground