REPORT OF CAPT. GEORGE B. M'CLELLAN. 13 



following order of strength : 1st. The Flag-staff Bastion ; 2d. Central Bastion ; 3d. Malakoff; 

 4th. Eedan; 5th. Little Redan. 



The Flag-staff Bastion was, on account of the ground, a somewhat irregular figure — nearly 

 a lunette. The ditch of the right face was flanked by two guns in a blinded caponiere; the left 

 face was flanked by four guns, in a return of the epaulment which extended from the rear of the 

 work along the crest of the central ravine, and finally down to the bottom of the valley. The 

 command of the work could not have varied much from 15'. The ditch was about 30' wide, and 

 from 12' to 15' deep; its slopes steep, often vertical. Against a portion of the scarp, near the 

 salient, rested a row of palisades some 10' high, and uninjured by the fire. This was the only 

 case of palisading observed in any part of the ditches. The work was provided with a glacis 

 and covered way, the interior slope of the latter revetted with gabions. Shelters were excavated 

 in the counterscarp, under the covered way. There was a small battery in the covered way of 

 the left face. It was in front of this bastion that the principal mining operations were con- 

 ducted: on the part of the French to advance their approaches, on the part of the Russians to 

 frustrate the attempt. The craters were from 12' to 15' in depth, and in a very rocky soil. The 

 French never succeeded in carrying the work, nor in crowning the crest of the glacis. 



Some portions of the exterior slope were revetted with gabions. These were sadly disfigured, 

 but still presented a formidable obstacle. It is most probable that this system was resorted to 

 only as a rapid means of repairing damages. 



The guns were mounted on a narrow rampart, with traverses for each gun, and parados on 

 the right face. Here, as well as in all the other land defences, ships' guns mounted on ships' 

 carriages, and worked by side tackle and breechings, were alone employed. In this battery 

 many of the embrasures were revetted with the common boiler iron ships' water tanks, cubes 4' 

 on each edge. These were filled with earth, and three were employed to revet each cheek. In 

 one embrasure thirteen shot and shell had struck a cheek tluis revetted, yet the embrasure was 

 perfectly serviceable. In some cases traverses were made of these tanks. Their sides were 

 sometimes used instead of the rope mantelets. The rope mantelets were suspended from a hori- 

 zontal spar laid across the top of the embrasure and lashed to stout stakes ; they were 4" thick 

 and made of three thicknesses of rope sewed together. A hole was left in the lower part for 

 the gun to run through, and often a circle of similar construction was placed upon the gun, a 

 small aperture being left for pointing. This arrangement was rendered indispensable by the 

 great depth of embrasure required for ships' carriages, and was found to afford ample protection 

 against rifle balls and small grape. 



The bomb proofs were generally ample in number ; they were sometimes under the rampart, 

 sometimes under the second line of defence, (where such a line existed,) often under special 

 traverses, and occasionally entirely under ground. Their height was generally 6' and upwards, 

 the width sufiicient for two rows of banquette beds, the length varied exceedingly; the roof was 

 generally composed of 18" timber, for the most part pieces of masts; the minimum depth of 

 earth on top seemed to be 6'. As I observed none which were broken in by shells, it may be a 

 fair inference that this depth was sufiicient. 



Many of the bomb proofs were lined with boards, had fire places and chimneys, were well 

 ventilated, and whitewashed. Latrines were arranged in special bomb proofs, moveable casks 

 with seats over them being employed. 



The Flag-staff Bastion had a second line of defence, which was filled with bomb proofs. 



The Central was similar in construction to, yet weaker in profile than, the Flag-staff Bastion ; 

 its steep scarp and counterscarp rendered it, indeed, a formidable obstacle to assault ; with such 



