Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-05-28
ENToNBED FOR FIVE HOURS.
RuRIHD IN A BOMB.PROOF BE.
FORE PETERSBURG-SAVED
BY A SPOON.
ny JANIS NJ cRsBN, LATE OF PROGRAMS nATTEEY.

During the battles in the trenches
before Petersburg was serving in the
Army of Northern Virginia as private
in Pegram's Private Battery. About
the goth of July portion OF our COM
mand, Numbering thirty-four officers
and men. moved into the fort, then
being threatened by Grants mine, car
ryipg with them three guns. The lines
in this neighborhood were IN ill-repute |.
with our soldiers. They approached
very near to each other at some places
the picket firing was incessant and
artillery duels were frequent, ! think
it was Immediately after our arrival at
the fort that rumors began to circulate
among us regarding the mine that was
To be carried under the work and at the
proper time elbow us TO the moon" On
the Goth of July no signs Of the ilnpend-
ing catastrophe were visible to Us IN the
trenches. There was no change in the
daily routine. Casualties occurred III
our vicinity and the victims were car
ried past, some of them silent, others
with staring eyes exposed and utteying
piteous complaints. The dropping fire
from the pickets was continuous, and
when darkness came we could trace the
course of the bombs that all down the
line were being exchanged between the
hostile batteries. Midnight had just
been proclaimed by the city clock, when,
accompanied by Sergeant Peter Royal,
retired. The ammunition bomb proof
for our gun had two chests, and on them
we stretched our wearied limbs. The
sleep that followed was the sleep ofutteI
exhaustion, for the stagnant air and
sitting heat of the trenches was not
favorable to natural repose. On the
following morning at daybreak the ser
qeant turned out with the others t(
replace the fascines in the embrasures,a'
was the daily custom, leaving me asleep
. | and after brief absence returned x
finish his nap on the chest. At the same
time the remainder of the gun squad
eleven or twelve in number, returned t
the shelter of tarpaulin, which they
had stretched outside the bomb-proot
Lientenants Hamlin and Chandler, witt
the rest of the command, about twent
=, men in all, having performed the dut,
I have mentioned, likewise returned IN
side the fort.
A heavy shock awoke me. In a sec
oud realized that the mine mad bee
q exploded, that the bomb-proof wa
l. nearly filled with earth, that we were
utter darkness, that, in short, we wei
g buried. Listening intently l heard IL
sound of cannonading, seemingly al;
> off. There was another sound, whic
to this day cannot recall without
~ shudder; the groans OF my poor con
81 rades under the tarpaulin, as they we
being slowly sufocated by the mass
IL dirt precipitated upon them by the e
III plosion. put forth my hand; the sa
le geant was still beside me on the chet
We raised our voices in repeated shou
but the sound was dull and mutfed al
a seemed TO come back upon US from t
vi walls of our prison house.
In the black solitude OF that pom
>" proof we regarded deaths approach WI
u no feeling save that OF dull despa
About three hours had elapsed, as | NJ
calculate, when an idea occurred to
20 which, by the blessing of heaven,
N" suited in our escape. In my haversa
was an iron spoon of a size rather lare
ON than common. Was it not possible