THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. 43 The various attempts at feeling our way had unfortunately consumed much time, and the siege itself was to consume much more, although it was pushed forward with great energy. Ten thousand laborers, constantly relieved, were set at work on the abattis, through the woods, roads, trenches and batteries. It was a curious spectacle. A narrow arm of the sea, fringed by a close and vigorous vegetable growth, made up of trees of all kinds, living and dead, draped in vines and mosses, wound up towards the front of our attack. This had bieen used as our first parallel. Bridges were thrown over it, roads had been opened on the banks among the tulip trees, the Judas trees, and the azaleas in full flower. From this natural parallel others set out, made by human hands and rapidly approaching the works. The defenders kept up on all that they saw or suspected, a tremendous fire. The shells whistled from every side among the high trees, tore off the branches, scared the horses, but did very little damage. Nobody heeded them. In the evenings when all the squads came in in good order, their guns on their backs and their picks on their shoulders, the firing increased, as if the enemy had marked the hour. We used to go to the front for this cannonade, as if it were an entertainment, and when on fine spring evenings the troops came in gaily to the sound of martial music through the blossoming woods, and when the balloon which we used for our reconnoissances was floating in the air, one easily believed himself to be enjoying a festival, and was glad for a moment to forget the miseries of the war. All this time the siege went on. A powerful artillery force had been brought up, not without difficulty. Rifled guns of 100 and even of 200 pounds calibre, 13-inch mortars, were got ready to batter the works. Fourteen batteries had been built, armed and provisioned. If we had not yet opened a fire it was because we meant it to be general from all sides, and we were only waiting to get into a complete state <f pre-
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