As there is a succession of gullies, cut out by rains along the side of the ridge, the line was necessarily very irregular.

To follow each of these spurs with intrenchments, so as to command the slopes on either side, would have lengthened their line very much.

Generally therefore, or in many places, their line would run from near the head of one gully nearly straight to the head of another, and an outer work triangular in shape, generally open in the rear, was thrown up on the point; with a few men in this outer work they commanded the approaches to the main line completely.
The work to be done, to make our position as strong against the enemy as his was against us, was very great.

The problem was also complicated by our wanting our line as near that of the enemy as possible.

We had but four engineer officers with us.