Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-28
CAVE LIFE IN VIOKSBURG.
"Reminiscences OF Our GLats UE
ar UIeaaaufnaaz - r-

A "Reminiscences OF Our @Lafs I'm
e pIeRsantnesB'' Ina
"a The wife Of Confederate officer who
was confined within the "Wall of fire. which
surrounded Vicksburg during the memoir
able days OF April and June, has written an
entertaining volume on the SCIENCES and in
eidents which there transpired. Like most
OF her companions, she was compelled to
seek shelter nom the deluge Of iron hail in
the caves so often alluded to.
Caves were the fashion-the raee-oyer
besieged Vicksburg. Negroes who under
stood their business hired themselves out to
dig them at from thirty to fifty dollars, &C
cording to the size. Many persons consid-
ering different localities unsafe, would sell
them to others who had been less fortunate
or less proVident; and 90 great was the de-
mand for cave Workmen that new branch
OF industry sprang up and became popular
particularly as the personal safety Of the
workmen was secured, and money wifhal.
Her faithful servant, George, who always
remained with her, was very near being
killed at one time by Yankee shell. She
says; ''One night could scarcely sleep, the
explosions were 30 loud and frequent. Be-
fore we had retired, George had been lying
without the door. | had risen about twelve
and stood looking out at the different
courses of light marking the passage Of the
shells, when | noticed that George was not
in his usual place at the entrance. On
looking out l saw that be was sleeping
soundly some little distance of, and many
fragments Of shells falling near him.
aroused him, telling him to come to The en-
trance for safety. He had scarcely started
when huge piece of shell came whizzing
along, which, fortunately, George lodged in
time, and it fell in the very spot where he
had so lately slept.
On another occasion 8 shell penetrated
the cave to the great horror of the occu-
pants: "It was about four o'clock one We'd
nesday evening Chat Smelling throughout
the day had gone on about as usually, | was
reading in safety, imagined, when the un-
mistakable Whizzing of Parrot shells told
US that the battery we had so much feared
had opened from the intrenchments. ran
to the entrance to call the servants, and i'm
medistely after they entered shell struck
the earth few feet from the entrance,
burying itself without exploding. ran to
the little dressing and could hear
them striking around us on all sides.
crouched closely against the wall, for did
not know at what moment one might strike
within the cave. A man came in very much
frightened, and asked to remain till the dan
ger was over. The servants stood in the
little niche by the bed, and the man took
refuge in the small cell where was station
ed. He had been there but q short time,
standing in front of me and near the wall,
when Parrot shell came whirling in at
the entrance and fell in the center Of the
cave before us all, lying there smoking
Our eyes were fastened upon it, while we
expected every moment the terrific ex-
plosion would ensue. l pressed my child
closer to my heart and drew nearer to the
wall. Our fate seemed almost certain.
The poor man who had sought refuge with
10 was most exposed Of all. With a sud
den impulse 1 seized large double blanket
that lay near and gave it to him for the
purpose Of shielding him from the frRg-
ments; and thus we remained for a moment,
with our eyes fixed in terror on the missile
Of death, when George, the servant boy,
rushed forward, seized the shell, and threw
it into the street, running swiftly in the op-
posite direction. Fortunately the fuse had
become nearly extinguished, aud the shell
fell understanding near the mouth OF
the cave as a trophy Of the fearlessness Of
the servant and our remarkable escape"