Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-14

E&l4EEEs III tAtL 0REt<t ~ ~ 1919 - - -
indges Il 10 certain that bad Mctles-
Ian pressed forward boldly ~ this
time. he would with bat little difficult
" and loss have arrived before the
forfifcafions Of Richmond when they
were 10 . very incomplete state OF ef-
fecfuai resistance. However that
may be, Magruder was given breath
ing spell IN which 20 forfify and
strengthen his position, and Johnston
hurriedIy packed five or six brigades
on steamboats,, which troops ar
rived Just In the nick Of time 10
Illustrate projected assault Of Ma
graders lines which would have inev-
itably crushed them had not the rein
forcements arrived 80 opportunely,
An. who that participated therein.
on the Confederate side at least. can
ever forget the
SIEGE.
The line Of entertainments OF the
defence between the two rivers. the
York and the James. was perhaps
between four and i've miles long,
and there was not . spet OF ground In
the rear for q mile that was not con-
stantly searched by the canBon-shot
and rifle balls OF the Federals. As
the force then present was not more
than sufficient 10 man the breast
works In case of q sudden attack, and
one was momentarily expected, II
was necessary TO have the regiments
within easy reach. There are no
such things as hills and hollows In
that God -forsaken:country II Is as fiat
a. billiard table. and To have en-
camped the troops on open grouad
would have subjected them to 4 Ger.
tain loss that would have been crimi.
nal on the part OF the general. Those,
then, OF the regiments not in the
trenches were compelled 10 huddIe in
the bomb proofs Just behind them.
aud II he'll has any worse torture than
was experienced by the men In these
hideous dens, then ! want 10 ioin the
church Immediately. Dark, foul
smelling, without ventilation, swarm
ing with vermin. the floors OF rough
split slabs, covered with two inches of
mud and filth. II was almost impossi-
BILE TO get rest for moment. even
when oyerstrained nature gave way
TO semi-consciousness. Added TO
this, the dens were so crowded ut all
times that IL was difficult to find a
place 10 sit down, much less 10 re-
cline. IL was only on rainy. dark
nights, when the craekle OF the sharp
shooters ceased for while, and only
an occasional cannon shot crashed
through the brnshwood that the tor.
tured troops would venture out 10
breathe the fresher air. This misery
continued for week nj time before
a relief was sent, and during that
time the men had not one morsel OF
warm food or drop Of warm drink.
for ali the cooking had to be done
two miles In the rear, and IL was
strictly forbidden 20 attempt to light
fire in or near the trenches. Mum.
bers were Frustrated with chills and
fever and other forms of malarial
sickness, and | soieInnly assert that
on several occasions during the por-
gatorial experience Ia these foul holes
men rushed out In frenzy. preferring
instant death 10 slow torture, aud they
generally got what they sought for.
There was
SOME or THE FINEST sHARPsHeoTiNG
Done in that siege that the war devel.
oped. IL was said, know not with what
truth, that on the Federal side there
were q number of English sportsmen
OF high degree, who. getting tired of
shooting tigers In India, had come
over ito take pot shot at the rebels. /"
At any rate. old soldiers will recol-
lect the story Of dead mans tree. "
This was huge tree situated fully a
thousand yards from the Confederate
trenches. and among its limbs, forty
or fifty feet from the ground. a Fed
eral sharpshooter had made himself
an impreguable nest. SO TO speak. His
view of the rear Of the Confederate
works was confined 90 limited space
on account OF jutting points OF woods.
and Il was almost certain death for q
man to walk slowly across that space.
Everybody who had occasion passed
II on q run. One day some men OF
the Seventeenth Virginia Infantry
were set To work 10 dig covered way
across this fatal spot. and. forgetting
themselves. rested for moment on
the side of the ditch. Instantly Mr..
Sharpshooter gos in his work hy
clipping the heel OF one and mortally
wounding another with the same bal
let. Every means were tried 20 get
rid Of this champion shot. even 20
training ritled battery on him, bur
II he disappeared for time. he al.
ways came up smiling. perched ia
his eyrie. when his particular ground
was Invaded Daring the siege he
must have killed and wounded fully
dozen men.
The discomfort In the trenches VA
almost a. painful and demoraiixing rs
the life Ia the bosnb-pr0ofs Ga &C
count of the constant sharpshoosing
By day aud by night. and the freqaen-
cy of the cannon shots, the reIlefs
were divided into six hours on and
six of Now it ralned almost every
day while the siege was maintained,
and the whole country Is maFshy and
swampy, water being struck almost
anywhere two feet below the surface,
50 that the trenches always had foot
aud half up 10 two feet Of water in
them. The troops were enproviGesi
with Sufficient clcthing Tor this work,
such heavy baggage ~ overcoats, ex.
ira blankets, etc. hsviag been left be.
hind. To stand thigb-ceep In water
for six hours, in the early spring
nights. chilled 10 the bone and afraid
10 move for fear OF getting bullet
through the bead. was very unpleas.
ant experience. But II was q relief
At least from the horrors of the bomb
proof.
II there Is n place on earth
soaE INFESTED wFrH Owls.
Great white owls. big horned owls.
screech owls. and all other kinds of
owls. then Il hiss never been set down
In the books. No sooner had nigh,
fallen than they cQmmsnced their
- who n h0inee and htss.a s.ss &.itsx.,