Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-02-03
in regard 10 the severe cold wealth

writes, Ia regard to the severe cold wealth
er, and Of its effect upon the troops:
at had been raining nearly all day of
the 3lst, but about ten o'clock at night it
began to blow a hurricane, and we had all
we wanted to do to hold our tents down
and keep them from blowing away. The
front of our large mess tent blew in, and
the whole roof and sides began tapping
like the sails of a ship half clewed up
1 caught them and held the door flaps
down to the pole, shouting to the black
boys to turn out before thewhole concern
should fly away. Then we had a lively
time for an hour, going round to drive the
tent pins tighter and secure everything.
We just had got things snug as we tho't,
and began to listen to the roaring of the
wind with something like defiance, when
a stick and clay chimney at the back of
a tent adjoining took fire and had liked
to have set the whole encampment on
fire with it. Then there was another
rush and shout till the chimney was torn
away from the canvass and the fire ex-
tinguished. The gale was so great that
the sparks rolled along the ground instead
of rising. and we should have burned up
had not the rain kept the tents pretty
well soaked. 1t soon began to grow cold,
and we awoke aching with numbness in
the morning, the wind still blowing a
gale, although the mercury had sunk to
zero.
The men in the camps had slept but
little, being obliged TO keep awake and
near the fires to keep from freezing to
death. The ground was frozen solid, and
no n who has not spent nights and days
in tents in such weather can tell what it
is to suffer from cold. The gale blew
the camp-fres so that on the windward
side you could get nc good of them, the
wind blowing the fire away from that side
of the logs, while OF the leeward side the
smoke and sparks suflocated You. My
heart ached for the poor men, many OF
them without blankets, or overcoats, or
tents, and whose rations were reduced 10
less han three ounces of corn meal for
several days, the meat rations alone being
heal the full weight. No sugar or coffee
had been issued for weeks. and in whole
brigades they had had no soap for two
months. Matters are improving a little
now, but the clothing does not come yet.
Men turned out on last inspection with
II pantloons, simply a blanket like a
petticoat about their legs, to cover their
nakedness. Fully one third Of the COM
mand is suffering from more OF less desti-
tutionin these respects. Great efforts are
being made to open the Chattanooga
route, and Gen. Grant, who has been here
for a few days, promises that the clothing,
&c, shall be along in about ten days
The siege of Knoxville, by the destruc-
ton of supplies and interruption of trains
was the proximate cause of these troubles
which only time will cure.
THE men bear the suffering heroically,
and we hear no complaining. | stopped
at a campfire where a little knot of men,
wrapped in their blankets, were shivering
and trying to warm themselves. well
boys" said l, how did you stand it last
night?' They smiled cheerfully and one
answered: We didn't quite freeze, but
its pretty rough, sir"
Again, under date of January 10th, the
officer speaks of the still reduced con-
dition of the army:
The condition of our army, as to sup
plies, is very little, if any, better than it
was a week ago. Meat is the only thing
of which we have a tolerably regular sup
ply, though of poor quality. Corn meal
and coarse, unbolted wheat -four are our
reliance for bread. and of these the men
get sometimes half r%ations, sometimes
much less, and sometimes none at ALL
We are constantly living in the hope,
however, that the Chattanooga route will
soon be opened and u condition ameli-
Grated. Still there is no Encouragement
or grumbling. Hardships are acknowl
edged to be such but are met without
hinching."