Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-06-06
From the London Times.
Life in a Rife Pit.

" CAMP BEFORE SEBAsFOPoL. April 81.
a. have no news for you, but write
n few lines to tell you that am in good
health and spirits. 1t is no use telling
you about the siege, for you see that in
all the papers.
Within the last week l have been
twice in the trenches. both times in the
advanced trench. and the rifle pits in front
OF it. and for the first time tried the new
En6nld rife. Ca smaller bore than the
MIME They carry beautifully. while
clean. for about twenty rounds. but then
they begin TO lead and do not carry so
well. When | FIRST saw our men firing
last Saturday. the 2lst. from the rifle
pits. they had no idea of range or distance.
Two of them were firing at the same place
one with his sight up Tor 700. the oLhel
for 900 yards. tod them it was too
much, and with the sight up for 4oU pu'
two shots in succession through the loop
hole that the Russians WAS firing AT them
from.
AS sat, about quarter Of an hour
afterwards, half asleep in the pit, they
called me and said that three men were
coming down from the batteries towards
the town. told them to elevate for quo
yards. They made them dodge from
house to house. But when they got into
the street, they thought they were out Of
our range. and cooIIy walked arm in arm
down the middle Of the street. could
not quietly stand that took the best
rifle, put up the sight TO 900, and calcua-
ting the distance to be about 900 yards,
| fred high. The man on the right drop
ped like stone, and the other two rush~
ed into house. He lay there for some
time. They afterwards managed to get
him into house. This shows what the
rifles will do when properly laid on.
Afterwards l saw two carts laden
with powder boxes going from the town
to the batteries, at what guessed to be
! 100 yards. l took a rifle and soon
caused the drivers to run for the batteries
and leave the carts TO come as they could.
Our men said knocked over FIVE or six,
but only feel certain about one. was
sent out the ride pits again on Tuesday,
(the 24ih) but the Russians were very
shy that day, and gave very few chances.
had regular duel with Russian in the
nearest rife pit to US (25O yards In
about an hour he gave up firing, and, AS
l had put about four shots out Of seven
through his loophole, thought 1 must
have hit him. left namesake Of mine
in company to watch him. Very soon
the Russian (who by-the>by, was SPLEEN
did shot) fred again, and put the ball
right through private -'s cap, be-
cause he did not bob his head when he
saw the smoke.
They began to FIRE 68>pounders at US
in the rifle pits from the great gun in the
Redan, seven hundred yards from the pit
| was in. and with two men loading rifles
for me, bullied them so much that they
were half an hour loading the gun, for
had very sharp corporal watching the
gunners with my telescope, and directly
they appeared fred into the embrasure.
AS soon as saw the gun was loaded l
made the men lie down close under the
parapet until they fred. The shot came
close over our heads, but did no harm
The same thing went on again. but they
only fred four shots at US altogether. and
did no harm. We lost no men that day,
but on Saturday had three men killed
and one wounded of my party by round
shot. Two were a few yards from me,
and were cut right into by 24-pound
shot. have told you few incidents of
my experience in the trenches, and now
take no notice of shot or shell, except TO
take the necessary precautions to get out
OF the way