Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-06-30
From the London TINES, May III
LIFE IN RIFLE-P PIT.

CAMP REroRE SEEAsToPoI., April 81
have no news for you, but ! write a few
lines TO tell you that am in good health aud
spirits. II Is no use telling you anything about
tho siege, for you soc that in all the papers.
Within the last week have been twice in
the trenches, both times in the advanced trench,
and the rife pits in front Of it. and, for the Grsl
time, tried the new Enfield rifle "a smaller
bore than the Minnie.) They carry beautiful
ly while clean, for about twenty rounds. but
then they begin TO lead and do not carry SO well.
When FIRST saw our men firing (lasi Saturday
Of range or distance. Two Of them were fir
ing al the same place. one with his sight up
for 700, the other for 300 yards. told them
it was too much, and with the sight up for 400
put two shots in succession through the loop
hole that the Russians were firing at them
from.
As sat, about quarter Of an hour afeI-
wards, half asleep in the pit, they called to me
and said that three men were coming down
from the batteries toward the town told
them to elevate for 900 yards They made
them dodge from house to house. But when
they got into the street, they thought ,hey we're
out of our range, and coolly walked arm-in-arm
down the middle Of the street could not
quietly stand that ; took the best rifle, put up
/ the sight for 300, and calculating the distance
I to be about 1000 yards, fired high. The man
on the right dropped like stone, and the other
two rushed into the house. He lay there for
some time. They afterwards managed 10 &c,
him INTO house. This shows what the liiles
4 will do when properly laid on.
Afterwards saw two carts laden with pow
der-bOxes going from the town to the batteries
at what guessed TO be 100 yards. took a
rife, and soon caused the drivers 10 run for the
batteries, and leave the carts TO come as they
could. Our men said knocked over five OF
six, but only feel certain about one. wal
sent out TO the ri1e-piis again on Tuesday, The
2ith, but the Russians were very shy that day
! and gave very few chances. ! had regular
duel with Russian in the nearest rifie-pit tG
us (250 yards.) In about half an hour he CAV,
up firing, and, as had put four shots out o
seven through his loophole, | thought mus
have hit him. left namesake of mine il
my company 10 watch him. Very soon tn
Russsan (who, by the by, was a splendid shot
fired again, and put the ball right through pri
vate Is cap, because he did not bob hi
: head when he saw the smoke.
= They began to FIRE 6s-pounders at us in III
1 Tife-pits from the great gun in the Redan, 10
: yards from the pi. ! was in, and, with two me-
4 loading rifles for me, bullied them so muc
: that they were half an hour loading the gun
for had very sharp corporal watching III
o gunners with my telescope and directly the
: appeared fred into the embrasure. As 500
II as | saw the gun was loaded made the me
lie down close under the parapei until they fired
G The shot came close over our heads, but did n
G harm. The same thing went on again, bI
a they only fired four shots at US altogether, an
did no harm. We lost no men that day. bl
y on Saturday had three men killed and on
l. wounded of my party by round shot. Tw
If were only few yards from me, and were CT
h right in two by 2l-pQund shot. have to-
f. you few incidents Of my experience in Il
i trenches, and now take no notice of shot
is she'll, except to take the necessary precaulioI
ID TO get out Of the way
y The rays Of BoR5sheH.--A column
white smoke rushing up into the air expan
" into conceniric rings then follows the hoav
c. dull report like the beat Of some giant drum
c, and then comes the shrill scream Of the shell
to it describes its fatal curve and descends wi
es prOdigious velocity, increasing rapidly every
lis s.ant till it explOdes with the peculiar noise
IL "a blast' just as il reaches the ground.
IS. least it ought to do SO but to-day watch
ut the shells one after another, and only two q
ed Of three burst properly, though the range a
n flight were beautifully accurate. The Russi
in fusees are bad, but their arillerymen are not