Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-07-18
A WAR EXPERIENCE.
Daily Life In the Confederate Bomb
Proofs.


When. inthe spring of 1862, the army
IF Potomac, strong both in numbers and
in organization, advanced from the camps
in front of the capital city to retrieve the
Iaurels that had been lost at the first
Bull Run, it found on reaching Centre
vile that the extensive fortified batteries
which were supposed to be opposed to
their advance were a shan, and that the
heavy guns alleged to be mounted there
on were but well made Quaker" Cen
eral Mcclellan also discovered that Gel
eral Joe Johnston was, after burning all
stores not capable of being removed, on
of reach ofan Immediate blow. 1t is only
necessary to state that the Union general
retraced his steps and prepared to strike
Richmond by way of the Peninsula.
Johnston's army by easy marches was
moved to the vicinity of Richmond, and
about this time the actual intentions
of Mcclellan became developed, for
alarming reports and urgent appeals for
aid came from General j. B. Magruder,
who then held the peninsula, at York
town. with about 5000 men and very
inefficient force of artillery. In the
opinion Of competent judges it is certain
that had Mcclellan
DRESSED FORWARD BOLDLY
at this time he would, with but little
dificulty and loss, have arrived before
the Notifications of Richmond when they
we're in a very incomplete state for
effectual resistance. However that may
be, Magruder was given breathing spell
in which to fortify and strengthen his
position, and johnson hurriedly packed
five or six brigades on steamboats,, which
troops arrived just in the nick of time to
Illustrate projected assault on Magruders
line, (which would have inevitably
crushed them had not the reinforcements
arrived so OPPORTUNITY. All! who that
has participated therein can ever forget
the misery endured in that memorable
siege? The line of entertainments of the
defence between the two rivers, the Yorl
and James, was perhaps four or five
miles long, and there was not spot o
ground in the rear for mile that wa.
not constantly searched by the cannon
balls and rife shot of the Federals. Al
the force then present was not more thar
sufficient to man the breastworks in cas-
of sudden attack, and one was expected
momentarily, it was necessary to have
the regiments within easy reach. Their,
are no such things as bills and hollow!
in that od-forsaken country; it is a.
Hat
ASA BILLIARD TABLE,
and to have encamped the troops OF
open ground would have subjected then
to certain less that would have beer
criminal on the part of the general
Those, then, of the regiments not in the
trenches were compelled to huddle in the
bomb-proofs Just behind them, and il
hell has any worse torture than was ex
perienced by the men in these hideous
dens, then / want to join the church
Immediately. Dark, foul-smelling, with.
out ventilation, swarming with vermin
the floors of rough split slab, covered
with two inches of mud and filth, it was
impossible to get rest for moment, even
when overstrained nature gave way to
semfunconscieusness. Added to this
the dens were 20 crowded at all times
that it was difficult to find place to SIT
down, much less to recline. 1t was onl,
on rainy, dark nights, when the crackle
Of the sharpshooters ceased for awhile
and only an occasional cannon sho
crashed through the brushwood, that the
tortured troops could venture out tt
breathe the fresher air. This miser,
continued for week at time before {
relief was sent, and during that time the
men had not one morsel of warm. food Of
q drop of warm drink, for
ALL THE COOKING
had to be done two miles in the rear
and it was strictly forbidden to attemp
to light a fire in or near the trenches
Numbers were FRUSTRATED with chills ant
fever and other forms of Inalarial sick
ness. and solemnly assert that on sew
eral occasions during the purgatorial ex
perience in these foul holes in the grount
men rushed out in frenzy, preferrin,
instant death to the slow torture, ant
they generally got what they sought for
There was some ofthe finest sharpshoot
ing done in that siege that the war de
veloped. 1t was said, know not will
what truth, that on the Federal sid,
there were number of English sports
mel Of high degree, who, getting tireC
of shooting tigers in India, had com,
over ito take pot shot at the rebels.
At any rate, old soldiers will recollec
the "story Of "dead mans tree" Thi
was huge dead tree situated a Thousand
yards from the Confederate trenches
and among its limbs, forty or fifty fee
from the ground, Federal Snapshots
had made himself an impregnsble nest
90 to speak.
His view of the rear ofthe confederate