He was induced to do this by Colonel Pleasants, of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, whose regiment was mostly composed of miners, and who was himself a practical miner.

Burnside had submitted the scheme to Meade and myself, and we both approved of it, as a means of keeping the men occupied.

His position was very favorable for carrying on this work, but not so favorable for the operations to follow its completion.

The position of the two lines at that point were only about a hundred yards apart with a comparatively deep ravine intervening.

In the bottom of this ravine the work commenced.