, 1864-07-14
FROM CRAMPS ARMF,
The Steam Fire Engine No. Il Mt
The General Hospital near
City Point.
Correspondence Of the Baltimore Ame.ic,n1

tCofrespondence Of the Baltimore Americ1n1
r. C1Tr POINT, July 8, 1861
1t will interest many to know that the
steam fire engine from this city, which IL
supplying wafer in the hospital above thu
ARpomattox, is doing good work, and Is 8
The camp lies along the south side Of ths
Appomattox, about one and a-half miles from
| City folnf, between the river and tha road
which 1cads from City Point to the army al
| the front. The ground everywhere is one
bed Of dust, in field or woods, but loose and
light as o heap Of flour on The road. Any
motion Of man, horse, carriage, wagon or
current of wind sets 1t In motion, and all
nlnng the tents where our wounded 1ay it is
fearful. At the same time the Eater to wash
the wounds, do the cooking, supply every
| want Of the camp, had to be carried from the
through the camp The water that could be
supplied BY wagons and buckets carried by
hundreds Of men could not more than fur.
nish supply for the necessarics >
a suggestion WIS made to General Graut
to tecnre steam fire engine to force water
! up to the camp. and at the same tim. cool
dIately faid be would have tanks prepared
/ The engine No. ! Of this city was secured
| ard eent down.. It arrived on Friday morn:
Ing, but by somc unexplained delay 1t Was
lot labded until in tue evening, md about
9on Saturday morning It Vas gotten to the
place where 4 ditch was dug, to let the
water come In from the river, 80 that it
could be de. P enough to draw from.
In one-half hour after the plan was pre-
pared to draw the water, the engine was at
work, and forced water up the bank and to
the extreme end of the camp at the tents OF
the Christian Commission. It was then
taiptpg five hundred gallons was ll1edin two
and half minutes at q distance Of about.
fifteen hundred feet from tho engine. Three
wafer epr1nklers were brought to the camp.
which were also supplied By 1t, and carried
water into different parts Of the camp.
But what did most to cheer and refresh the
men, cool the air, aud water the ground WIS
the water thrown from the pipe, coming
with force, and throwing over one hundred
feet. 1t Interested the men; many Of them
had been tiremen. AS the stream forced up
through the air and fell scattering on the
ground, not oAJ did 1t lay the dust, but in
second there was a freshness In the mir
which was felt By every one near 1t.
II was taken there to supply water so thai
the 1heD should hare water md the dust in
the camp be laiu.- The whole work was
great success, and rendered to the men and
the camp favor, which, while 4 new thiny
IL the history Of army movements, will be
long remembered by those who we're per
mitted to share in its benefits.
The men, .as they lag on their beds, would
call out ''give us q little here, It won't hurt
u.s." Otbers would say "hurra, you are the
boys to help us." The freshcalug OF the air
aud the enlivcning Of the wounded Tas iu-
deed wonderful. .-
An incident occurred on Monday about
twelve O'Clock which stirred tho camp.
just ut the end Of the camp. adjoining the
tents Of the Christi N Commission aud the
State Reliets, a fire broke out In q piece Of
ground which nas covered with trees that
had been cut down, when the forts werc
erected, to enable our men to sec around
without obstruction. They had become very
dry, and burned with terrible fury, endan-
gering tue tents Of the Commission and all
hose were then laid supplying the Commits
sion barrels with waiter, to which too links
OF hose nnd a pipe were Immediately attach
cd and the water turned upon the fire, head
ing 1t oil md protecting the tents, and PROV
Ing defence for the wounded against flames
Hhlch would have been more terrible than
the fire Of battle.
Gen. Ingalls,, the Quartermaster General,
who has Charge Of that Department, prompt
II and in the most gent1emanly manner re1l-
dertd every facility in bis power, and did the
same In such q way as to make one feel that
1t is pleasant to have to do with gentle
man.
Gen. Grant not only favored the project,
but In qufet, unostentatious manner, with
out aids. was seen riding through the camp
observing its operations.
The members Of No j Mcsers- Shaw, Hall
and Dunn, who went down with the engine,
all heartily co-operated in the good work Of
trying to make comfortable our wei eundcd, BY
working the engine at all times when the
tide would permit The Water furnished by
the engine was purcr than that which had
bccn collected in buckets from the river, ns
it r Is drawn by d channel from toward the
main current OF the river.
The Government has put large tank, Raid
to hold Elk thousand gallons, from which
they design carrying watcr By pipes through
the camp, anl haye brought two engines to
supply the same. No. Will fill it il about
hall IN hour at the rate she filled the others:
but of the whole We may hear more fully
when the engine retnrns. W. D. s,