nemy's ears and
guide them in shelling our camp.

While here a large detail was furnished every day by the regiment for
duty in the trenches and on the skirmish line. Before sunrise each
morning the soldiers filed off through the gloomy ravines to their
posts in the trenches and pits of the advance, some half a mile away,
there to lie and exchange shots with the enemy, and subject to their
shells, till relieved. Fortunately during the week spent in this camp
not a man of the company was injured, and it is understood that but two
casualties (slight wounds) occurred in the regiment the whole time the
siege of Blakely lasted. On two or three occasions shells reached the
brigade camp, one of which cut off a thick pine near to Godbold's
grave, but did not injure either living or dead. These shots were
provoked by men climbing the tall pine trees to get sight of the
enemy's works. The bombardment of the Spanish Fort on the evening of
the 8th was very plainly heard. It lasted from 5:30 o'clock to 7, and
the reports averaged about thirty a minute, by count.

In the afternoon of the next day tents were struck and the regiment
left camp, knapsacks packed, at 4 o'clock, and moved silently through
the woods to the line of trenches used by the reserve of the picket
guard, and there, knapsacks being unslung and with other impediments
piled together, the men were stationed to await orders. Immediately to
the right of the Sixth was a battery and beyond that another regiment,
also posted in reserve; and on the left there was nothing. From this
position to the enemy's redoubts it was about half a mile in a direct
course westward, and from the advanced skirmish line to the same works
some 400 yards. About 5:15 p.m. the various batteries of the Union
forces opened fire upon the enemy's lines, but their guns did not reply
for about ten minutes, when the cannonading became brisk on both sides,
lasting until 25 minutes to 6; the battery near the regiment sharing in
it. Now it ceased suddenly on our side, and in its place were heard the
ringing cheers of the soldiers as they rose, in full view of the
reserves, from their trenches in the front and rushed towards the
Confederate fortifications. By 6 o'clock the noise of the cannon had
ceased and a white flag was visible, which told of the enemy's
surrender; and shortly the Stars and Stripes superseded it. Thus, on
the evening of the 9th of April, 1865, took place the battle of
Blakely, which,