Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-02-12
Kn61piae During the Siege An
Inside Viarx

An officer, writing from Knoxville, Decer-
Der Ith, thus describes affairs in that place
during the siege by Longstreet:
Weli5 We went 10 digging, and the rebels
likewise bethonght them Of their spades.
And by day and by night the work went on.
And the coMrabands were impressed by
dozens, and by scores, and the dfslsyai citi-
zens were made to labor in the trenches, al
thorRh they positively Ryerred that the night
air Would cause their death, and that they
hadn't been used to work. They were OBJ
jccts of pity, and wrought feebly, and with
contrite hearts. Their feelings were hurt,
their hands were bistered, and their coun-
tenances bore the impress of unutterable woe"
But still the work went on. The fences were
consumed for fuel, or eaten by the mules
the trains were parked in ieneeless gardens,
and on desolate lawns; the furnishing horses
whinneyed in their stalls, and call went
merry as a marriage bell" And when the
dead were brought in, in wagons, and the
ambulances came laden with OH wounded
men. and the noise of battle WIS yet afar of,
then the disloyal tautselS g;gglcd together on
the corners of the streets, and hurrying home
spread their tables with sumptuous fare, and
rejoiced together in the belief that Lopgstreet
would soon be in. But as the days wore on
ward, and the noise Of battle became more
fearfully distinct; as the lines contracted,
and the thunder Of the guns was heard about
the town, and the courtly dwellings Of the
suburbs fed the nightly confagrations that
filled the heavens with lurid flames, and the
dreadful and unearthly bowling and explo-
sion Of the shells then it was that the way
ward sisters went not abroad to Raunt thcif
impious badges on the street, but so6ean
their chambers, or still more secure retreats,
and only stcalthily, and in dread, pcered from
the curtained windows with awe and conster-
nation pictured in their looks. Meanwhile
the Medical Director became aware of the
luxurhus banquets provided, and in waiting,
for the hungry "rebs," and with zeal COM
mensurate with the magnitnds Of the enter
prise, he descended upon the canned fruit
and sardines, the oysters and the wine, and
all the little nick-nacks and chicken hxings
so proyidently supplied, and had them con-
veyed to the hospitals, "without any unne-
cessary delay" And the destitute families
of such as fed within our lines for protection
were taken in charge by the Provost Marshal
General of East Tennessee, and BY his orders
were comfortably established, for the time, in
the domiciles of all prominent rebel citizens.
Dams were constructed, to flood tEe avenues
Of approach to the town, and a pontooD
bridge to connect US with our defences Be-,
yOnd the river. The mills ground day and
night to supply our wants, and forage trains
came silently from distant farms with grain.
Reserves were stationed in the muddy streets,
and the trenches manned by veterans Of
hundred fights. And so, through all the
rainy days, and the long, cherries, foggy
nights, VIC awaited the assault, listening TO
the intcrminable strife Of the skirinishers,
and the intermittent thunder of the guns.