The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-10-02
SIEGE OF HORROR.
THE OLD VIRGINIA PENINSULA.
Dam No. 1.-The Whip-Ponr-wn Marsh
Bomb Proofs -Dead Mans Tree
The oWls-Sharp Shooters
War in Fact, Etc.

bcl9 anu lhOlBdulhGlOn, advanced from |
the camps in front of the capital city to |
retrieve the laurels that had been lost nj |
the first Bull Run, it found on reaching |
Ccntreville that the extensive fortified |
batteries which We're supposed to be op- |
posed to their advance We're sham, and |
that the heavy guns alleged to be |
mounted thereon were but well-made |
''Quakers.n Gen. Mcclellan also dis |
covered that Gen. Joseph u. Johnston, !
his astuto opponent, was, after burning |
all stores not capable of being removed. |
far on his march to the southwark and |
out of reach for an immediate blow. II |
is only necessary to state that the Union |
general ret"aced his steps and prepared /
to strike Richmond by the way Of the |
peninsula. Johuston's army by easy |
marches was removed to the vicinity Of |
Richmond, and about this time the act. |
ual intentions of Mcclellan became de- |
Veloped, for alarming reports and urgent |
appeals for aid came from Gen. ]. b. |
Magruder, who then held the peninsula |
at Yorktown with about 5000 men and |
very inefficient force Ofartillery. In the |
opinion of competent Judges IT is certain |
that had Mcclellan pressed forward |
boldly at this time, he would with but
little difficulty and loss have arrived be-
fore the Notifications of Richmond when
they were in very incomplete state for
etlectual resistance, However that may
be, Magruder was given breathing
spell in which to tortify and
strengthen his position, and Johnston
hurriedly packed five or six brigades n
steamboats,, which troops arrived just in
the nick of timo to Illustrate projected
assault of Magruder's lines, which
would have inevitably crushed them
had not the reintorcements arrived so
opportuncly. All! who that participated
therein, on the Confederate side at least,
can ever forget the
MISERY ENDURED IN THAT MEMORABLE
SIEGE.
The line of entertainments of the de-
fcnse between the two rivers, the York
and the James, was perhaps four or five
miles long, and there was not spot of
ground in the rear for a mile that was
not constantly searched by the cannon
shot and rifle balls OF the Federals. As
the force then present was not more
than sufficient 10 mar the breast-WOrkS
in case Of sudden attack, and
one was expected mOmeniarilV,
it was necessary to have the
regiments within easy reach. There
are no such things as hills and hOlows
IN that God-tOrsaken country; it is as
Hat as billiard table, and to have en-
camped the troops ON open ground would
nave subjected them to a certain loss
AAA'tt NbtAlNl lltANA hitl fIlllllllhI on the
part of the General Those, then, ~ the
regiments not iu tHe trenches were CONF
PEELED 20 hudd'o in tho bomb proofs ius,
behind them, and II hell has any worse
tOrtue than was experienced by the men
I'm these hideoUs deus, then ! want TO
Join the church immediately. Dark,
loul-smcLliug, without ventilation,
swarming with yermbe, the floors of
rough-Spht slabs, covered with two
inches Of mud and nth, il was almost
impossible to get rest for moment,
even when oYcrStralned nature gave
way TO observation-disclosures Added
to this, the dcus were so crowded
at all times that it was diff
cult to find place To sit down much less
10 rocline. 1t was only on rainy, dark
nights, when the CrdCkle of the sharp
shooters ceased Tor awhile, and only an
occasional cannon shot crashed through
the bruShwOod that the tortured troops
would venture out TO breathe the freShor
air. This misery continued for a werl.
at time before q relief was sent, and
during that time the men had not one
mOrsel of warm food or a drop of warm
drink, for all the cooking had TO he done
two miles in the rear, and it was strictly
forbidden to attempt TO light a fire in
or near the trenches, Numbers were
Frustrated with chils aud fever and
other forms Of mal2rial sickness, and |
solemniy assert that on several occa-
SiOns during the purgaiorial experience
in these foul holes men rushed out In
Iron2y, prcierring instant death to the
slow torture, and they generally got
what they sought for. There was
SONB OF rdE FiSIsT sHARpSHoOTINI
done in the siege that the war ,deyei-
opcd. IL was sud, ! know not with
what truth, that on the Federal side
there were q number of English sports
- L. Il. a.
OF shooting tigers in India, had come
over "to take pot shot ut the rebels.n
at any ratio, old soldiers will recollect
the story Of "dead mans troo." This
waS huge tree situated fully a thOus-
snd yards from tho Confederate
trenches, snd among its limbs, forty or
nifty feet from the ground, q Federal
sharpshoOter had made himself an inn
prCynablo nest, 50 10 speak. HIS view
OF the rear OF the Confederate works
was confined ~ a limited space on &C
count OF jutting points Of woods, and
10 was almost sudden death for q man
h walk slowly across that
space. Everybody who OCcasin passed
II on ran. one day somo men
OF the Seventeenth Virginia Infantry
were SGT 70 work 10 dig n covered way
across this fatal spot, and forgetting
themselves, rested for a momout by sit
ting on the side 81 the ditch. Instantly
MIR. ShagpShuutvr got In his work 10y
clipping tho hU,l Of ono and. murtally
wuunding another Wiyh ono bullet.
Every means wcro tried TO get rid Of this
champion shot, oven Co training rillcd
battery on him, hut ir he disappeared
Tor u tim, no Away came mp smiling
perchcd In his eyru, whom his particu-
lar ground was Invaded. During the
siege, he must have Nillad and wounded
fully dozen men,
The discomfort ia The trenches wps nj
most rs painful and dcmora,iZug as the
life in the bumh-prooIs, on account Of
the constant sharpshooting by day and
by night, and the frequency Of the can
non shots, the relielS were divided into
six hours ON and six oil. Now
II rained almost every day, while the
Siege was maintained, aud the whole
country IL marShy and swampy, water
being struck almost anywhere two feet
below the surface, so that the trenches
always had u foot and half up to two
feet of water In them. The troops were
unprOvided with sufficient clothing for
this work, such heavy baggage as over
coats, extra blankets, etc, having been
loft behind. To stand thigh-decp in
water for six hours, in the early spring
nights, chilled 10 the bone and afraid to
move almost for fear Of getting bullet
through the head, was very uupleas-
ant experience. But II was "A relief Mt
least from the horrors Of the bomb-proof.
If there is a place on earth
MORE INFESTED WIN OWLS,
great white owls, big horned owls,
screech owls, and all other kind OF owls,
then it has never been set down in the
books. No sooner had might fallen than
they commenced thor "who-whoingn
and hlood.cutdliug shripkingaud hugh
ing inand among the tall jumpers which
III. H.. 4.