Connecticut western news., 1881-12-21

he could have knocked Petersburg to pieces in twentyfour hours. He would probably have done so had there been any excuse for it, but there was none The Confederate lines were mile and half away, and Petersburg was held only by non-combatants. Neverthe- less, Grant did not propose that anyone in reach of his guns should sleep soundly or forget his presence. Occasional shots were therefore pitched into the city to check any enthusiasm.
 ONE SHELLS WORK.
 One night during an artillery duel to the left of the Crater, the Federal guns were for time so elevated that every missile cleared the Confederate lines, howled over Petersburg, and fell among the houses under the hill. One shell entered the window of house and ex- ploded in the parlor. A part of the front of the house was blown out, one side demolished, the chamber floors driven through the roof, and the whole building weakened. The people had removed, leaving most of their goods, and dog to watch them. No one could say just where the dog was when the explosion took place, but he was not killed.
 A DEMOLISHED DINNER.
 In the winter of 1864, citizen, who had unexpectedly received $2,00O in Confederate currency on an old debt, determined to have good, square din- ner, and company to help eat it. Rye coffee, bacon, meal, rice and molasses were about the only provisions in mar ket, but at cost of 1860 the citizen scraped together enough to justify him in inviting company of six friends. The guests were in the parlor, the table set, and the cook was over the stove, when @ shell entered the dining room through the side of the house. The explosion so wrecked the room that no one could enter it. The table, pieces of which I saw, could not have been demolished any better with an ax, and the plaster in two or three other rooms was shaken down. While all was ex- citement, and before any one really understood just what had happened, a second shell plunged into lower bed room in another part of the house, alighted on the bed and there exploded. All the plaster on that side of the room and overhead was shaken off, the walls bulged out, the window glass shivered into fine fragments, bureau split to kindlings, and yet looking-glass was not even cracked. The force of the explosion was upwards and outwards, and save 8 powder stain and scorch or two, the bed was not damaged. These two missiles were the only ones winch entered a house on that block during the whole siege, and were probably thrown from gun which had just been put in position.
 KILLED ON THE STREET.
 Scores of shot and she'll fell upon the streets, and many pedestrians were maimed and killed. A solid shot which hit chimney and then rolled off the roof killed colored woman who was passing below. A shot which fell near negro who was working in a garden, tore him into small pieces and cut the handle of the hoe off within foot of the socket. A boy on horseback heard a whirr and saw flash, and the next thing he knew he was seated astride oi 8 dead horse, cannon ball having torn the animals jaws of. Escapes were both wonderful and innumerable, and when one sees the bullets in the window sills, the cannon balls in the walls and the rents made by the deadly shells, he is amazed that anyone had the bravery to remain there during those long months when every day was full of death and every night replete with horror.