a heavy fire, without great difficulty and fearful loss.

Just in rear of the rifle-pits occupied by the Thirty-sixth
Massachusetts was an elegant brick mansion, of recent construction,
known as the Powell House. When the siege commenced, fresco-painters
were at work ornamenting its parlors and halls. Throwing open its doors,
Mr. Powell, a true Union man, invited Colonel Morrison and Major Draper
to make it their head-quarters. He also designated a chamber for the
sick of our regiment. Early during the siege, the southwestern and
northwestern fronts were loopholed by order of General Burnside, and
instructions were given to post in the house, in case of an attack, two
companies of the Thirty-sixth Massachusetts. When the order was
announced to Mr. Powell, he nobly said, "Lay this house level with the
ground, if it is necessary." A few feet from the southwestern front of
the house, a small earthwork was thrown up by our men, in which was
placed a section of Buckley's battery. This work was afterwards known as
Battery Noble.

Morrison's brigade now held the line of defences from the Holston
River--the extreme left of our line--to Fort Sanders. The following was
the position of the several regiments of the brigade. The Forty-fifth
Pennsylvania was on the left, its left on the river. On its right lay
the Thirty-sixth Massachusetts. Then came the Eighth Michigan. The
Seventy-ninth New York (Highlanders) formed the garrison of Fort
Sanders. Between the Eighth Michigan and Fort Sanders was the One
Hundredth Pennsylvania (Roundheads).

On the evening of the 20th, the Seventeenth Michigan made a sortie, and
drove the Rebels from the Armstrong House. This stood on the Kingston
road, and only a short distance from Fort Sanders. It was a brick house,
and afforded a near and safe position for the enemy's sharpshooters,
which of late had become somewhat annoying to the working parties at the
fort. Our men destroyed the house, and then withdrew. The loss on our
part was slight.

For a few days during the siege, four companies of the Thirty-sixth
Massachusetts were detached to support Roemer's battery on College Hill.
While on this duty the officers and men were quartered in the buildings
of East Tennessee College. Prior to our occupation of East Tennessee,
these buildings had been used by the Rebels as a hospital; but, after a
vigorous use of the ordinary means of purification, they afforded us
pleasant and comfortable quarters.