The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1864-07-28

what an amount of substantial comfort the
soldier appears to extract from pint of
the sorry beverage. Bad as tits, it goes
far to compensate for every discomfort
that may befall. Despite all effort and
Ingenuity, the rain viii overcome every
thing. Though the soldier may have
elevated himself above the surface of the
ground by contrigance of forked sticks
and poles, still, wherever leaf touches
the canvass, there the water will distill
through in gentle drops upon him, and he
awakes In tae morning to find himself as
damp as the night before. With nothing
but bayonet to construct a ditch about
his tent, sudden flood Of water will break
over the slight barrier, and spread itself
cozy and soothing all through his solitary
blanket, together with so many haversacks
of hard tack as may unluckily have been
left upon the ground; nor does the infu-
eEce Of capillary attraction tend in any
degree to keep his blouse dry. A tired
soldier, who has lost his tent in battle, or
is otherwise without it, will throw himself
upon the ground at midnight, and may
be seen the next morning, sleeping sound
ly, while little purlihg stream frisks
through his curling beard, and thence
washes the entire coast, through the Gi-
lapidated shoes, and thence issuing out
through convenient opening at the
toe.
But then the marching the next day
after the rain, when ten thousand men
have already passed over the road Evil
be upon the head Of the maker of army
shoes, who forgot to make them boots
But to enumerate all the vexations of
rainy day might induce the belief that the
soldiers life is always trist and damp
Not SO; it is happy one, if there is such
to be found. Very soon the sun appears,
the mud is assuaged, the days of watery
memory are quickly forgotten, the sol
dier's face beams again with smiles, and
he sWears no more for many hours.
LIFE IN THE TRENCHES. -
A correspondent of the Philadelphia
Press gives the following description Of
life in the trenches:
Humboldt once said that the most ex-
citing life that one could lead would be
to cross from peak TO peak Of the Alps on
a corde etostipse, aud keep it up FROM day
to day. That, indeed, would be danger
Gus mode OF lie, but | question whether
it would be more exciting than that which
is every day experienced by our gallant
boys in the rife7pits. They take, their
position in the darkness of the night,
when the keen eye of the rebel cannot
pierce through the mists between the
lines. The enemy raise their heads
above their works, but they can see moth
ing, save the occasional sound Of dis
charged rife. Our men peer over the
bfeastworks, but cannot seea living thing.
This is the hour for stationing men in
the trenches. Both rebels and Federals,
covered by the thick darkness that veils
them, are, for the moment, comparatively
of their own wish, but made
so by the interposition OF Nature Silent
ly and cautiously our men move down to
their positions each one is stationed
where The judgment Of his commanding
officer sees proper. to place him, and he
at once makes himselfat home.
The hole, perhaps, is not large enough to
accommodate him. Taking
out his cooking utensils, he begins with
body, and then with his stcw-p pan he SHOW
els it out, and throws it upon the top of
his breastwolk. lie works out for him
self friendly orifce to screen him from
any desultory shell that might wish to
disturb his new home This he excavates
At declining angle of forty-fye degrees !;
when this is finished the officers give him |
his orders, and all are commanded to do |
heir duty. Every one is in his position,
md now he is left all alone. A thick
'idge Of earth, running at right angles to
he breastwork, forbids a glance at his
,eighbor, but he can talk, and be heard |
With distinctness. He expects hot day,
md accordingly raises above his head
mall sheet of shelter-tent for protection
he gray dawn of early morning has given
he enemy "a sight," and bullet whis-
les near his head, reminding him that he
must beware of exposure. Working with
more cautiousness, he arranges his shade
,over, and is glorying in his constructive
bility, from the exercise of which he
xpects some little comfort, when another
,ullet, with terrible precision, cuts the
ord which bound the tent to its stake,
nd it falls to the earth. That was a
,lunge shot, and he knows that one of
hose deadly sharpshooters is watching his
Movements from the cover of some near
rec. To more fully impress his mind of
his supposition, he raises his cap gently
bove the work !; in second of time a