Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-04-30
4allgg lligeufrr
MY oAvn.LIFR IN VIoKsRURe.


MY oAvE-LIFE IN VICKsBUR
BY the wife OF Confederate ohcsr.
Duriug the siege Of Vieksburg many OF
the non.sombAtnnts remained 10 the city,
takiog sheiterSdariuE the frequent bonn
baEdussts in caves OF. cellars dug for iha,
purpose in the clay Of the bAdks. The lit.
lie volume whose title appears above gives
iOme graphic pictures of this strange and
perilOus life. It iS written by = woman Of
culture aud refinement, who, though South.
ern in her coanSeli6ns aud sympathies,
shows none OF the bitterness Of the parti.
san, but records whatever Of generous and
heroic on either side has met her uomauly
eyes. She thus speaks Of the tOmb.Iike
places of shelter to-Which uauy weeks the
women and children were contned;-
"CaVes were the fAshiou-Ihe rage-oVer
besieged VickBburg. Negroes, who under
stood their business, hired themselves out
to dig them, at from thirty 70 ffIy dollars,
according To the size Many persons, con.
sidering different localities unsafe, would
sell them TO others. who had been less for
tunAIe, or less prOVidenI; and so great was
the demand for cave Workmen, that 4 new
branch Of industry sPrang up and became
PoPuIar-ParIiCuIarly as the personal safe.
~ OF the wOrkmsn WAS secured, and money
Withal." '
"Some families had light bread made in
large quantities, and subsisted on il with
milk (prOvided their cows were not killed
from one milking time to another,) without
Aby more cooking, until called on To replen.
ish. Though most Ot us lived on cOru bread
and bacon, served three times a day, the only
luxury Of the meal consisting in Its warmth,
had some flour, aud frequently had some
hard, tough biscuit made from it, there be.
log no soda or yeast to be procured. At
this time Ue could, also, procure beef A
gentleman friend vas kind enough to offer
me his camp bed, . narrow spring mattress,
which fitted within the contracted cave
very comfortably; another had his tent Ay
stretched over the mouth Of our residence
10 shield rs from the sun; aud thus was
the recipient uf many fAvors, aud under
obligations to many gentlemen Of the army
for delicate aud kind attentions; and, 10
looking back 10 my trials at that time,
shall ever remember with gratitude the
of every deprivation. Aud so l went reg.
ulArly to work, keeping houss under
GROUND. Our new hAbitation was au e1cA.
VAtion made in the earth, and branching
six feet from the entrance, forming q cave
in the shape of T. 10 one Of the wings
my bed fitted; the other l used as kind Of
dressing room; 10 this the earth bad been
cut down a foot or TWO below the floor of
the main cave; 1 could sLand erect here;
aud Uhth tirGd of sitti6g In other portions
OF NY Eesidenee, @boGed ulysels intp. tt,
and Stood imp assiIely, ,resting ~ fnIl' hight
--ons of the variations 10 the still sheft.
expeetaut life. n e--'s seFSdnt cooked for
Us under protection Of the bflf. ourquar
ters were close, indeed yet | Was more
chan expected l could have
been made under the earth In that fashion.
We were safe At least from fragments Of
Shell-And they were flying In all direc-
tious; though no one seemed TO think our
cave any protection should = mortar shell
happen to fall directly on top Of the ground
above rs. We had our roof arched and
braced. the supports Of the bracing taking
up much room in our confined quarters.-I
The earth was about Eve feet thick above,
and seemed hard and compact; yet, poor
M, every time be came 10, examined
it, fearing amid some of the shocks il sus.
tanned, that it might crack and fall in upon
US"
The danger was BY no means imaginary;
10 various Instances these cAVernous cells
collapsed, either from the jar or constant
explosions or from their own weakness,
buryiug their inmates in q premature
grave. The cave vas but a choice of evils,
the peril within being only less than the
peril without. on one occasion servant
Of the writer had q narrow escape from
deAth:-
"ons night 1 could scarcely sleep, the
explosions were so loud aud frequent
Before We retired, George bad been lying
without the door. I bad arisen about IL
o'clock, and stood looking out at the diff.
fereut eourtes Of light marking the pas.
George WAS GOT in his usual place at the
entrance. % looking out, saw that he
Was sleeping soundly, some little distance
OG, aud many fragments of shell falling
near him. l aroused him, telling him TO
come 70 the entrance for safety. He had
scarcely started, when huge piece Of shell
came whining along, which fortunately
George lodged in time, and il fell in the
very spot where he had so lately slept"
At another time more imminsut dan
ger menaced the cave aud all it contained:
"It was about four o'clock, one Wedues.
day eVening-the shelIing during the day
had gone on about as usuAl-I was read.
ing in safety, l imagined, when the unmis.
taxable Whirring OF Parrot shells told rs
that the battery We so much feared had
opened from the intrenchments. ran TO
the entrance TO call the servants in; and
Immediately after they entered, shell
struck the earth a few feet from the en-
trance, burying itself without exploding.
l ran 10 the little dressing roUm, andeould
hear them striking Arouud Us on all sides.
crouchsd closely against the WaII,for
did not know at what moment one might
strike within the cave. A man came in
much frightened, aad asked to remain IN.
til the danger was over. The servants
stood in the little niche by the bed, and