Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 1

This trench was pushed on rapidly, under the personal supervision of Wood, till it reached the plateau and terrace of a farm-house in its front. The plateau, although overlooked by the rebels, and in close range, was occupied by a line of trench running around the outer part of the crest, for the purpose of keeping the enemy out of the part of the valley immediately below. From the terrace, the approach was continued down the slope, towards the mouth of the creek, and then directed upon a small mound on the north side of the stream, from the top of which it was thought the guns of the water-battery might be seen and silenced by sharpshooters. The work was completed, and the result all that had been hoped for. The enemy spiked his guns and abandoned the work. But, although unable to occupy the position during the day, he still continued to make it a picket-station at night. This could not well be prevented, as the banks of the stream, between the approach and the rebel work, were both steep and high; and the water here had cut the bed of the stream into an almost impassable chasm. There being no available means of getting across the creek, or driving the sap closer, there was an end to all approaches on this road. But the troops were not allowed to remain idle. The batteries were completed, and the naval guns put into position. The fleet-battery consisted of two eight-inch ship-howitzers; it opened, on the 7th of June, and did excellent service, completely silencing all the guns within its range.

On the 27th of May, in compliance with a request