The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-10

borrowed BY The gallants of the re.
>. ment when they called on the fair rcitize
4 Of Petersburg. It was Of coarse cottS
h With pink plaitee or rufled bosoI
n That was a shirt 10 those times. A BIZ
s. half cotton shirt sent from home was sol
n IN Petersburg for thirty-fve dollars. OF
= uniforms, or what what was intended fl
q such, we're of every description
: material and cut. We used hann,
- nearly altogether, as ii saved washin,
3 We could not get soap, handy, and ger
= crafty traded ON the picket post with til
Federals. We drew an abundance &
= the best tobacco and this being scare
: and dear with our Northern friends, W
: could drive bargain easy enough. ]
4 one-half the ways and means adopte
. by the Southern soldier for his persona
: comfort were known it would lnstruc
4 and amase. 1t showed how he adapte,
i himself to circumstances, and this yer,
i fact is one of the leading reasons VIII
!, the SoutheFner was naturally a bette
. soldier than the Northerner Inspection
seldom occurred during the seige; but
glance was all that was Necessary to SCI
that the arms were clean, bright, and
ever ready. Much trouble was had with
; the soldiers of Lees army about the
bayonet. The most stringent laws and
punishments failed to force him to carry
one. Finally each soldier was charged
, up with bayonet on the roll and if he
did not have one on pay day, it had to
be paid paid fer out of his hard earned
eleven dollars. These men paid more
attention to the rifle, than to a
cumbersome, useless weapon, hence their
repugnance.
i On several occasions Mississippi states
men came out to camp, and addressed
the brigade. Amongst them came one
Colonel q man of fertile brain
and vivid imagination, otherwise a
Crank" He addressed us on a pet
hobby of his, that of making a wonder
| full arid monster in which to soar aloft,
and with bombshells, and Greek fire,
rain destruction on the Federal lines
below. He claimed the scheme as practi-
cable and grand; and presented recon-
mendations from parties high in official
circles. Two names l saw appended to
this document encouraging it, would, if
written here, be pronounced false. The
Colonel only wanted one hundred
thousand dollars to contriYe and equip
this wonder which he called "Artis
Avis" or "The Bird of Art" We of the
line "could not see" the project in this
view, that he wanted us to-thatis, give
something towards building the machine
out of eleven dollars per month,
promises to pay.
The latter days of July were character
lied by intense and sultry heats. For
Co.. &c kHos
the deadly crack of the sharpshooter's !
rifle in order to breathe the pure, fresh
air. In spite of every day precedents
they would insist upon erecting their
little tents, in the open ground to our
rear. Not unfrequently would it hap |
pen at roll call that some one was found |
beyond the reach of duty, pierced unto
death while sleeping sweetly.
Such was the condition of affairs
when the monotony of life in the
trenches was broken by orders, the
evening before July 29th, to man the /
entire length of the lines in our front
BY O'clock in the morning. Having
been quiet for some time before, all'were
of course more or less enervated, so
when the hour rolled by on July Both,
the most obedient only obeyed the order.
Some slowly and reluctantly fell into
line, and with a yawn answered s'here."
Others slept obliEious of duty, while
friends answered for them, or drowsy
response came from their hunks. Weeks
of inactivity had partly relaxed dis
cipline. Besides they felt a conscious
ness that for direct attack they had
nothing to fear. The same state of
affairs as regarded our strength of posi-
ton prevailed with our commanders, and
to the last days the judgment was sus-
tanned, as the line was never taken, but
turned at Five Forks. Daylight of July
30th dawned upon a scene of activity,
and hustle in the trenches. In vain we
peered into the glimmering of daylight
toward our enemy for signs; all was STILL
Even the picket line was unwontedly
quiet; and gradually all sought easy
positions and awaited. Another false
alarm, we thought, to try the men, and
see if they were prepared for sudden
irruption of the Federals on our works.
To our left lay portion of Beauregard's
army !; beyond him, to Appomattox River,
was part of Gordon's command, be-
lieve. The country in front of cur lines
there was broken and rugged; ravines,
washes and gullies afforded front in
capable of being assaulted with any GER
tainy of success. While we lay nodding
for few minutes against the breast
works, catching cat-naps and indulging
in reveries of loved ones in sunny Mis-
sissippi, some one cried out, Look
yonderw As we did so we saw dark,
heavy mass of matter; smoke and fame {
ascending high into the air, and accom-
panied with a rumbling noise; in an in $
slant more it began falling. A mine !
had been sprung under fort; and the /
order to man the lines, emanating the !
evening before, showed that our COM 8
mander knew before hand, and had I
used the precaution to have his troops {
for action. The debris had
scarcely settled before every Federal gun /
that could be brought to bear upon the
lines opened terrific lombard I
ment. We crouched close to our works
to escape the fury of the storm Of pro- 8
leetiles, and feeling secure we grinned |
defiance. The earthshook and trembled. {
The air was full of racing projectiles, I
sestbing, Kissing and bursting overhead, q
ainging their splinters in every direction. $
The din that pierced the charge of is
Pickett at Gettysburg, was nearly
squalled here; gun for gun and shot for 9
she'll; and showers of iron hail every {
where The bulk of it fell upon the ex- I
ploded lines, half mile distant to our '
eft. But we got good share, to pre- S
vent our taking part in the recapture of '
The lines. We, as old soldiers, knew I
that an assault would shortly take place, I
n I 4
ceded an attack We wished it to occur s
ii our front; for the view wss opened 2
and fully mile wide, and we knew that !
The whole Federal army could not drive
rs The mortar guns in the pines around
Fort Sedgewick soon joined in, and be- {
gan dropping their shells lively, and !
most too accurately; some inside the /
works, some behind, and one fell right
0n top the slope, tearing deep hole, and {
filing everyone around with dirt. These !
mortar shells always created more de- ]
than any other proiectiIe. I
They could not be lodged. In front Of &
she works was Just as safe as the rear, or
any place save distance. In fact for /
awhile the front seemed the safest
In the midst Of the combat Gen.
Malone came down the lines and viewed
with anxiety the surroundings; and
gaye some general orders The General /
Tas ID his fighting weight that day, |
pounds; and Was clothed
II 4 linen uniform Of jacket and pants
cut after boys pattern, and made ont
s. Khe material that composed the little I
shelter tents provided by Uncle Sam !
for the comfort of the BOYS Id blue and :
vrey. He had scarcely left before !
orders put the division into lines and as
she Alabaminans moved OF We opened !
Sur ranks and covered their space, and ]
5 Cd until the entire length Of the
division was covered and thus Harris, {
Flr;gnsis 4. c.ee,,r1ipd 4 r.ila ar mara frorff (