Official Records of the Rebellion

[330]

No. 20.

Reports of Brig. Gen. John G. Barnard, U. S. Army, Chief Engineer Army of the Potomac, of operations during the siege.

Sunday, April 27.—Eight hundred and sixty men of the Engineer Brigade have been employed on bridges, Battery No. 4, and unloading shells, and instructing troops in making gabions and fascines. One company and 300 men on detached service at Cheeseman’s Landing. Number of gabions on hand 860, of fascines 180. One barge with mortars has been brought within 15 feet of the wharf of Battery No. 4; several cribs of crib bridge have given way; tools for nearly 10,000 men are reported in the engineer depots, mostly at depot in camp of Engineer Brigade. Agreat deal of difficulty and delay is still experienced in regulating the working parties. Details, after waiting at the place they have been directed to go, return to camp and report no engineer officer to be found, while the engineer officer reports waiting several hours for a detail without seeing them. All this I think could be remedied by conforming to the requirements of Order, No. 119, headquarters Army of the Potomac. The order requires that the division officer of details shall consult the engineer or artillery officer in construction daily, and shall also be responsible for tools, &c., and that the party is provided with them in proportion as desired by the constructing officer. This, too, would prevent all such occurrences as has happened this morning, viz: A detachment reporting without tools of any kind, because the officer in charge of detail had none. The same order [331] requires that this officer, when he has not sufficient tools, shall immediately make requisition upon General Woodbury, in charge of depots. These delays are generally, I am forced to believe, the result of culpable neglect, and ought to be remedied. Captain Stewart reports that a party of 200 men was employed on Battery No. 8 revetting the interior slope with gabions, and that two-thirds of the battery is revetted; the weather interfered with the work; 100 men were also making gabions and fascines; neither party worked after 3 p. m. Work at abatis, &c., was probably continued near Garrow’s Chimneys by General Smith’s command. No reports have been received from Captain Duane or Lieutenant McAlester this morning.

Monday, April 28.—The upper pontoon bridge over west branch of Wormley’s Creek has been relaid with increased balks and with a second layer of covering with chess. The troops of General Woodbury’s command are variously employed on batteries, bridges, with pontoon property, instructing men in gabion and fascine making, and 320 men on detached service. No report of gabions and fascines made was received this morning, as the regiments at that work are supposed to have reported to the assistant adjutant-general at headquarters. General Woodbury has been directed to require the reports to pass through his office, as the regiments were ordered to report to him, and this department must be informed of the material on hand, &c. Three hundred and twenty-four gabions and 180 fascines, reported as made several days ago, are being collected at the depot this morning. I have asked Captain Stewart about the work done in the woods, &c., from Battery No. 7 to Redoubt A; also between Nos. 7 and 8. I have suggested rifle pits, with entanglements, on open field between Nos. 7 and 8. I have directed Captain Stewart to protect this flank by every means possible, and consult with General Sumner upon the defenses. General Woodbury has been directed to furnish such assistance to General Barry with the 13-inch mortars as in his power. To-day only 1,000 men reported, in place of 1,500, to Lieutenant McAlester. He reports everything under way; Redoubt C, extension of parallel on the 10-inch sea-coast mortar batteries.

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