The redoubts were within 300 yards of the enemy's lines and the slightest movement, or noise, would draw the fire of the ever alert enemy. Commissary Hotchkiss tells of the difficulty in getting the rations to the men. "Sending up rations is no easy thing to do," he says, " I started with the team and after going down the first rise of ground and across a corduroy bridge, shot and shell began to fly about us quite lively and we got behind a deep cut in the road for shelter. The noise of my team drew the fire of the enemy, and we had to carry the rest of the rations up by hand. We had to step lively and keep our heads low. When we got to the rifle-pits we had to poke about to find our men. They were in three different places. I finally found the centre section, gave out their 'grub,' and to get to the left section had to pass an open space, kept our heads down and hurried up, but the riflemen saw us and fired a few shots. However, we got to the left, gave out their rations and started to the right section, to whom we gave the balance of the rations. We could not leave the shelter for some time for the rebs were firing lively. We finally started down with our camp kettles reached the team and hurried back to camp, where I found orders from headquarters not to take the team up there again. All quiet as soon as we got to camp." (pp557-558).

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