y
short time after the firing began one of the embrasures became so badly
choked that it could not be used until the _debris_ could be removed.
Hastily renewing the blindage of brush-wood that had been used to
conceal the work from view of the enemy during the construction, the
detail of engineer soldiers then on duty, in the battery, cleared the
embrasure of the obstructions, removed the blindage, and the gun resumed
its fire. Just after that incident, I asked Captain Lee what he now
thought in regard to the proper dimensions for the embrasures. He
replied: "They must be made greater when the battery is repaired
to-night."

The naval detachment had only forty rounds of ammunition; which was
expended in about three hours, and the firing had to cease until the
arrival of the next naval detachment. The latter when it came into the
battery, had only forty rounds of ammunition and was to serve until
relieved, the next afternoon by a third naval detachment.

Before the ammunition of the first detachment was expended the
embrasures were all in a very bad condition--the battery was almost
entirely unserviceable; and before the second detachment arrived I
caused the embrasures to be filled up, until the battery could be
repaired that night and put in good condition for re-opening the next
day.

The second naval detachment came into the battery about the middle of
the afternoon. The naval captain in command, without consulting me,
ordered the embrasures to be cleared at once, with the intention of
immediately opening fire. Perceiving what was being done by the sailors
in re-opening the embrasures, I ordered them to stop; and asked by whose
authority they were acting. On being informed that their orders came
from the commander of the detachment, I asked them to point him out to
me. I immediately introduced myself to him, as the engineer officer in
full charge of the construction of the battery, and told him if the
embrasures were cleared the battery would still be unfit for
service--that it could not be repaired until that night, and would then
be put in better condition than it was when it first opened. The army
gun battery would be ready next morning; and its fire, combined with
that of the naval battery, after the latter was put in good condition,
would be very effective. But, if the naval detachment opened fire that
afternoon, the battery being unfit for service, its ammunition would be
exhausted before night without hurt