As soon as General Lee’s Army was all up and his lines established, we began to fortify in earnest.  The breastworks that were built now were of a different order to the temporary ones in the Wilderness and at Cold Harbor.  As it was known now that a regular siege had begun, our breastworks were built proportionately strong.  Our lines were moved to the left to allow a battery to occupy the brow of a hill on our right, Kershaw’s Brigade occupying both slopes of the hills, a ravine cutting it in two.  Field pieces were mounted at intervals along the line with the infantry, every angle covered by one or more cannon.  The enemy commenced shelling us from mortars from the very beginning of our work, and kept it up night and day as long as we remained in the trenches.  The day after Kershaw took position Grant began pressing our picket line and running his parallels nearer and nearer our works.  It was said that Grant won his laurels in the West with picks and shovels instead of rifles and cannon, but here it looked as if he intended to use both to an advantage.  As soon as he had his lines located, he opened a fusilade upon Petersburg, throwing shells into the city from his long-ranged guns, without intermission.  It was in the immediate front of the right of the brigade and the battery on the hill that the enemy’s mine was laid that occasioned the “Battle of the Crater” a month afterwards.  Before we had finished our works, several night assaults were made upon us, notably the one up the ravine that separated the Second and Third on the night of the 21st of June.  It was easily repulsed, however, with little loss on our side, the enemy firing too high.  What annoyed the soldiers more than anything else was the continual dropping of shells in our works or behind them.  We could hear the report of the mortars, and by watching overhead we could see the shell descending, and no one could tell exactly where it was going to strike and no chance for dodging.  As every old soldier knows, card playing was the national vice, if vice it could be called, and almost all participated in it, but mostly for amusement, as the soldiers scarcely ever had money to hazard at cards.  While a quartet was indulging in this pastime in the trenches, some one yelled, “Lookout, there comes a shell!” Looking up the disciples of the “Ten Spots” saw a shell coming down right over their heads.  Nothing could be done but to stretch themselves at full length and await developments.  They were not long in suspense, for the shell dropped right upon the oilcloth on which they had been playing.  There it lay sizzling and spluttering as the fuse burned lower and lower, the men holding their breath all the while, the other troops scattering right and left.  The thing could not last; the tension broke, when one of the card-players seized the shell in his hands and threw it out of the works; just before exploding.  It was the belief in the brigade that those men did not play cards again for more than thirty days.