ntil his soldiers had become regular mud-diggers, and
he had spent no end of labor and money in constructing works of
immense magnitude, to defend a position not worth holding. There was
digging and basket-weaving to an extent that went far toward
developing the talents of the soldiers for farm work, and there were
orders enough issued to supply the greatest army on earth. It will not
easily be forgotten that the Eighth, who had been especially affected
by gabion manufacture, awoke one morning and, instead of the stars and
stripes, found a large sheet floating from their flagstaff with the
inscription: "Peck's Avengers, or the Basket-Makers of the
Nansemond."[2]

At four o'clock in the afternoon of April 11th, could be seen the
pickets coming into town with a vengeance. Soon could be heard the
long roll beating in the camps near General Peck's headquarters, and
almost instantly the excited General himself came riding into camp at
break-neck speed, the guard coming very near bayoneting his horse,
ordering the regiment under arms immediately. Colonel Beach, who was
in his tent, overhearing the order, came out and told the General
"that he would frighten the _best_ of troops, and that he (Beach)
would not stir an _inch_ until he received orders through the proper
channels." As soon as the orders came properly we fell in and marched
to our position at the breastworks. Two days after, the rebels made an
attack directly opposite the Sixteenth on the Somerton Road, but were
so handsomely repulsed by the artillery, that they soon retired. From
that time until the siege was raised we had the usual amount of hard
labor and constant watching night and day that attends a siege and
constant exposure to the enemy's fire. On April 24th, under the
command of General Corcoran, the 13th Indiana, and the 11th and 16th
Connecticut regiments went out on the Edenton Road on a
reconnoissance. After skirmishing with the enemy for about thirty
minutes, the regiment charged, driving the rebels from their pits to
their earth-works, which was, perhaps, fifty rods. After holding this
line long enough for the artillery to have a good duel and the General
to find out the strength of the rebels, we returned within our
defenses.

The regiment captured five prisoners, the officer of the pickets, a
sword and various cooking utensils, which the rebels had left in their
hurry. The casualties were one killed and seven wounded. This was a
very successful