Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-02-15

1
S. Tilton, now Deputy Governor of the
National Soldiers Home at Togus. The
work was begun on the Sd day Of July,
and occupied the time up to the 3oth,
when the Burnside mine was exploded
under a rebel Fort. Gederal Tilton's
Journal which | have before me, gives an
interesting account Of the laying out and
building of this work, much Of which
had to be done during the night on ac-
count of the constant firing Of the enemy.
The works were laid out by General
Roebling Of General Warrens staff. On
each side of the Fort proper, were two
smaller works called Batteries 2l and %,
each of which was arranged for two guns
and the main work for four.
have heard several reasons assigned
for applying this name to the Fort. One
story was that an ambitious officer OF
engineers applied his own name to it
which coming to the ears of division
commander he indulged in the ejacula-
ton which was at once given to it. 1t
was rule among the commanders to
name all Forts after the names of officers
who had fallen in action, and the real
name of the works in question was Fort
Sedgwick, named so in honor Of the brave
commander of the Sixth Corps, who was
shot dead at Spotsylvania Court House.
But the place might appropriately have
borne the other name assigned it, without
seeking for any other reason than the
fact that it was so situated that the re-
bels could concentrate a terrific fire upon
it, en6lading it in one direction, which
they did not scruple to do upon the slight
est occasion, and sometimes for no ap-
parent reason at all.
The change took place as ordered and
in the night time, the last Of November
or first of December, the guns were drawn
into the Fort and put in position. The
approach to the Fort was by a covert or
hidden way, which was a trench or ditch,
broad enough for the gun carriages to
pass through and so deep that on enter
ing the horses ears could not be seen
above the surface. IL was also wind
ing way, with frequent angles as sharp
as possible and allow the horses and guns
attached, TO pass up TO the Fort. This
covert way as well as the reports Of the
officers of the regular battery relieved,
gave the boys of the Seventh Maine to
understand something of the nature of
the position and of the duties which lay
before them.
The camp Of the battery was pitched
about two miles in the rear of the Fort,
and here winter quarters were provided
for the horses and for such of the officers
and men as would not be needed at the
front. Capt. Twi,chell and Lieutenan,s
Bundy and Thorp, remained at the camp
while Lieutenant Staples and were as
signed to duty in the Fort. In addition
to the SIX guns Of the Seventh Maine,
there was one section Of the Third New
Jersey Battery, under command of q
Prussian Lieutenant, Carl Machewskey,
making eight pieces in all, and as was
the ranking officer, the immediate CON-
mand Of the artillery in the Fort deyolyed
upon me- Tne first On moving in was
The erection OF suitable winter quarters
for officers and men. The Infantry was
quAr,ered along in our rear, but Of the
Fort itself, the artillery men belonging to
the two batteries before named, were the
sole occupants. As the Fort was IN an
exposed position and the rebels had It's
range so completely that they could drop
in their sixty. four pound mortar shells at
will, it was necessary TO construct bomb
proofs for the protection Of the officers
and men at night and when off duty.
The country in the rear of the Fort
when first occupied by our troops, was
covered by heavy growth of pine tim
Der, and much of this was standing when
the Seventh Maine Battery took It's po-
sition in the Fort, The men, most OF
whom were familiar with the axe, having
become familiar with it in the forest OF
Maine, at once fell to work cutting TIM
Der and bringing it into the Fort. The
officers quarters were constructed IN the
centre. An excavation was tirs. made
about fifteen feet square and three feet
deep. Timbers about foot in diameter,
squared at the ends and eight feet long,
were then set close together around and
in the excavation save only place for a
door. Timbers of the same thickness
were then cut of the required length, and
laid across the upright timbers for a COW
ering. Earth was then piled around and
upon the whole to the depth of nearly ten
feet, bags or gabions Of sand being
placed on each side, and upon the top at
the rear, to keep the sand in place. A
chimney was built at the rear side or on
the side not exposed to the enemy's fire,
and on this side also was glass window
taken from some rebel house, and door.
A descent of three steps took one into the
interior where there was room about
twelve feet square and eight feet high,
with fireplace, door and window on one
side, the other three being timber and
earth. The magazine was connected
with the quarters as sort of l. with en-
trance from the outside, and protected In
the same way. The quarters of the men
were similarly made only they were
called by them gopher holes"
In this Fort the winter Of lS64-5 was
spent and portion of the spring, until
the battle of Five Forks on our left was
fought, and the battery pursued the fiee'