Donnell, 50th New York volunteer engineers. roads during the late move, the commanding d be selected for a military railroad from the ection of the Weldon railroad, at or near the in and rapid transportation of supplies. The charge of the construction corps of the chief ting against Richmond. The soil contains a es becomes almost impassable. nterior portions of the works last referred to -o to be occupied in case of an attack by the ng of wire entanglements, abatis, fraises, and ong the entire front, had been prepared. Many ges had been built by the 50th New York nience of and more direct communication bemy. September he also selected sites for different ng on the 17th of September he reported that At the same time his attention, under ingeneral, was directed to the examination of sive line from Blackwater swamp, near Prince rds Old Court house, or Bailey's creek, the mptying within a few miles of that point into that already in course of construction, come Appomattox, below Petersburg, to the Wele James river, adding nine miles to its length, he flanks resting on the two rivers, and with of the Potomac. (See plan No. 12.) traced, and work commenced upon three of directed to confer with Lieutenant Colonel adier general volunteers,) in command of the , in regard to a short line extending from the rth towards the Appomattox, to cover and procavalry the depot at that point. adquarters army of the Potomac directed that esignated for the forts be regarded as permacially directed." 1 placed in charge of the provo On the 28th, in company spection of the whole line, an During the evening of the sa and arrangements of the troop in readiness to move before commanders were directed to of their troops from the rifleline from the Appomattox t enclosed batteries, and the f the intrenchments." In consequence of this pr given to the officers of engine works in course of constructi trains in readiness to obey fu The active operations of miles to the left or west of t September and 1st an! 24 of the lines. On the morning final attack, it having been d to select a new line to connec Fort Wadsworth, and locate filing and con-truction of th Before daylight on the mo By this extension to the The incredibly short time in The works were well const On the 4th of the same mont remained on duty, he was co General Benham to assist in latter was about three miles in e 28th, in company with the chief of artillery, he made a general inof the whole line, and found the work progressing most satisfactorily. the evening of the same day orders were issued for certain dispositions ngements of the troops to be made, and that the whole army should be ness to move before daylight on the following morning. The corps ders were directed to “ hold in view the contingency of the withdrawal troops from the rifle-pits connecting the enclosed works, leaving the m the Appomattox to Fort Davison to be held by the redoubts and batteries, and the further contingency of withdrawing entirely from enchments." onsequence of this projected movement, instructions were immediately the officers of engineers to suspend all operations on the different fieldcourse of construction, and to hold their commands and the pontoon readiness to obey further instructions. active operations of the army were successfully advanced some few the left or west of the Weldon railroad during the 29th and 30th of er and 1st and 2d of October, causing a corresponding extension of . On the morning of the latter, after the repulse of the enemy in his ack, it having been determined to hold on to the position, he was ordered a new line to connect the advanced point near the Pegram house with dsworth, and locate the necessary intermediate works; the tracing, proad construction of them was immediately commenced. e daylight on the morning of the 4th, by direction of the commanding he made a reconnoissance for the purpose of selecting a line to be reom the left flank towards the rear, and to be connected with Fort Dushane. s of several new redoubts were established, the connecting lines traced, h large details their construction immediately commenced. is extension to the west of the Weldon railroad, eleven additional enworks, Keene, Urmston, Cawakey, Fisher, Welch, Gregg, Cummings, n, Emory, Seibert and Clark, and several batteries, were linked with the formidable cordon that surrounded the army. The length of this porhe line is nearly seven miles, making a continuous stretch of twenty-three earth-work from the right on the Appomattox to the left on the Blackamp. Adding to this the section from the latter to the James river, measures more than thirty-two miles, comprising thirty-six forts and teries. In addition to these, there were eight other enclosed works e inner line of the defence of City Point. neredibly short time in which those to the west of the Jerusalem plankwe built, surprised the officers of our own army. The sites of the works ly selected on the 2d and 4th of the month; still the weekly report of states that they were already nearly completed. e officers of the corps of engineers then present, under his orders, d. Gillespie, Howell, Benyaurd, Lydecker and Phillips, and to those of New York volunteer engineers, under the immediate command of Lieuolonel J. Spaulding, and to the men of their respective detachments, given the credit for the immense amount of work accomplished. works were well constructed and finished, and the infantry parapets are as they could be made to answer a useful purpose. The artificial strength e was to a great extent increased by the naturally strong position chosen any attack or assault by the enemy. e 4th of the same month, notwithstanding the few officers of the corps that 1 on duty, he was compelled to send Lieutenant Phillips to report to Benham to assist in constructing the line in front of City Point; the as about three miles in length, comprising eight small redoubts. line extending between Forts Hays and Fisher, uld be shortened, and to furnish a written report nformation. As no particular advantage could be nt of work would be required, he reported un October 22, informs the general-in-chief, "that my of the Potomac was entirely constructed and minor details still required attention; additional in connexion with the abatis and wire entangleforward every night to strengthen it" In conmy were driving galleries at different points to ected shafts to be sunk within them and listenprecautionary measures, although no indications careful personal examination. y Captain Gillespie and Lieutenant Benyaurd, d between Fort McGilvery and a point opposite ength of the enemy's position, and whether any struction, as well as to decide upon the possibility r and severing his communication by rail with the commanding general, he visited City Point irector of the army for the purpose of selecting ospital. An advantageous place was found on , between the railroad and Bailey's creek. Beit possessed the advantage of retirement and h. Fine springs burst forth here and there from ery want. works of the line to the west of the Weldon City Point, were selected from among those of who were killed in action during the recent camntry's battles,-and so given in plan No. 12. f October two new redoubts were ordered to be viously selected-the one between the Norfolk other near the Friends' house-from both of had over the main line of works. These were movement ordered to commence on the afterwhich the greater part of the army participated, 28th, extending west across Hatcher's run, and as far as the Boydton plank-road, where the ess's mill. ast day the different commands returned to their s were then engaged along the entire line, in retions, driving galleries, and in every conceivable as possible. vas directed by the major general commanding Turnish General Benhamn, commanding defences et of the line of intrenchments from Prince urt House, and also to indicate what was necesright of that line with the rear intrenchments aplated movement, he had been compelled to of the defensive line, and its construction was above-named officer. nth, the lines being completed, both as regards ngements, the following extract from Special issued for the information of al "The chief engineer officer w From this time forward the The temporary quiet of the Comparative quiet again re The cavalry successfully eas In consequence of the dest Some severe fighting took all attention of corps commanders is called to the necessity of preserving order the intrenchments front and rear, with the abatis, slashings and -fences. * * * chief engineer officer will inspect the lines, both front and rear, from time and report to these headquarters any failure to keep the same in good any destruction of the defences." this time forward the engineer troops were principally occupied during ter in attending to the needed repairs of the forts and batteries, in keeprder the several corduroy roads, in overhauling and placing in good cone pontoon trains, in constructing huts for winter quarters, and in buildling for the large number of animals required for the transportation of and bridge trains. emporary quiet of the army was again interrupted for several days. On of December, by direction of the commanding general, an engineer offih a battalion of engineer troops and one hundred and fifty feet of canging, was directed to accompany the 5th corps during the movement of er south along the Weldon railroad, and subsequently all, both regular unteer, were called upon to be under arms to take part in the same operaOrders were issued at the same time that all camps located, as well as rrals, or other structures erected in the vicinity of the lines of defence, a front or rear, which, in the judgment of the engineer, interfered with er defence of the works, should be immediately removed. Preparations so made to move, if necessary, all surplus property and the sick in hoso within the lines of City Point. Arrangements in regard to the further ion of troops were directed in the event of a general move; those not sly designated for holding the intrenched lines to be formed into a movlumn, under the immediate orders of the commanding officer of the s. All work not necessary for the defence of the position held by the as suspended. The movement had scarcely commenced when, in conseof severe storms of rain, accompanied with sleet, the army was finally ed to return to its old position, some considerable damage having been along the line of the railroad. arative quiet again reigned throughout the army, with the exception of mpt of the enemy's iron-clads to come down the James river on the 24th ary, 1865, until the 4th of February, when a movement of the cavalry ered for the following day, to be supported by the 5th and 2d corps. cavalry successfully captured a small train of the enemy on the Boydton oad, and entered Dinwiddie Court House. usequence of the destruction of a bridge over Hatcher's run, the 5th as detained for several hours in crossing, and the former, not being supfell back. A severe attack was made upon the 2d corps, but was 1, and little more was effected on that day. On the following morning e 5th corps was ordered to pass the stream at the crossing on the n road and take up position to the left of the 2d, the cavalry proits flank. severe fighting took place during the day. Early on the same morning been sent to select a line between Fort Sampson and Armstrong's mill, ose sites for works to hold and comm and the crossing at the latter place one on the Vaughan road. On the 7th orders were issued to intrench , but on the following day were so modified as to cause the line to be et from Fort Sampson to the Vaughan road crossing. The length of ition to the intrenched line s nearly four miles, making the front line › Appomattox to Hatcher's run fifteen miles of continuous earthworks. storms of rain and sleet again disturbed this movement.. enemy, no event of importance occurred until n on the 28th of the same month. The dising Fort Steadman, to the point of the enemy's tely opposite, is only six hundred and thirteen the shortest distance between the two at salient, (the locality of the mine.) The pickety four hundred and thirty-five feet apart, those front of his main works; one of the advanced -d two hundred and five feet from his opposite ng to his pit from the main line. Without the gilance on the part of the picket and the garri early dawn of the morning might prove motion so well flanked by adjacent batteries, and , proved so untenable as to cause the enemy to is temerity, and to compel him to relinquish the reasonable explanation can be made. calls attention to the topographical department of information which could be obtained, either made of the inhabitants-the latter generally nable from ignorance to impart it, even in relawhich they lived-his assistants had a labori. They have not only been constantly engaged , and in most cases acting as guides to the dif -y obtaining a most reliable knowledge of the it have been compelled to anticipate the geoy ever in motion by constant and careful re the necessary data upon which to base the difthereby being made responsible to a great exhich the commanding general was able to hyof success in the execution of his plans, the e ever active and always exact. en furnished from time to time with the many mies operating against Richmond and Petersmpaigns from the Rapidan to the Appomattox; lan of the lines occupied during the siege of representing the country adjacent to the latter comprising the several lines of the enemy for also copies of those prepared in anticipation, e movements which terminated so successfully mpaign of April, 1865. movements of the several corps of the mmence at an early hour of the 29th. army of On the evious day were somewhat modified, but at the mus were in motion. the 5th corps to enable it to cross Hatcher's there for the passage of the general trains. n replaced by a portion of the 24th along occupied by it, crossed by the bridge on the passed over by a bridge still further down, at wards Dinwiddie Court House. ittle opposition was encountered; one division ement on the Quaker road, and handsomely re of the Quaker and Boydton The wagon-train stuck fast in This glorious news was com The enemy having been pie. Colonel Michler was at that ti Early on the morning of the |