The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-04-30

| innumcrahlc hungry heas-I dare not say, with
out come qualification. that every tenth grain
| Of sand was fiea but, 10 say. like the sUud
| of the sea shore, they were very numerous.
Drifting of sand before the wiud is very COM
| mon on the sea shore. Oar breast works were
| sometimes almost oblitcr.tcd. An old negro
man, who was throwing sand upon the fortt-
cations, being asked one day what made the
breast works 50 low. replied, lit is most all
flea, and spec he done jump away. The
mosquitoes were as numerous and as blood
thirsty as the tlea~. III were permitted to per-
sonify them, would say they were the most
honorable foe We had 10 conicnl with on the
Island. The fcas and Yankees would take us
unawarcs at any disadvantage, but the mosqui-
toes warned us-always singing their war
songs whcn they approached to take our blood
Many were the cxtravagaut stories told in camp
about the wonderful fcits that were performed
by the James Island mosquitoes
The sections Of the Macbeth Ligh: Artillery
alternated between camp and picket duty out ON
the linc was always sorry when went
picket duty and glal when | came Off In the
camp smoke from our fires and pipes, would
lessen the visits Of the mosquitoes, but out On
the picket line, where fire was pot allowed, you
suffered all the tprtures that the triple alliances
of sand-tly, flea and mosquito could intlic,.
The Federal and Confederate picket lines
were laily drawing closer togcthcr They hal
excellent bands AMI often treated us to some
good music Sometimes they played Yankee
Double, to tantalizc US. and ,hcn played Dixie to
put us in good humor. One afternoon the two
lines came together, and tho rattle of musiery
was so great that it SCENE like nobody could
come out of such n fight, whole. Old man
Cul. Thompson, a member Of the Macbeth from
Laurcns, listened until the firing ceased, ani re-
marked, ''if nobody i hurt over there. | don't
sec the use of So much shooting never
heard that any one was killed or wounded in
that skirmSh: but, as big as it sounded then. it
some we afterwards heard.
Lieut.. B. \. Jctcr WAS OH picket with the
first section Of the battery the mornin. that the
enemy threw themselves galiantly against
our works at Secession They made j, Il bloody
little fight, but most of the blood came from
ter when they got back to the protection Of
their guuboatS. No one of the battery men
was hurt, and do not know that the section
from the Macbeth hurt any one, but it is rcas-
enable to suppose that men who were so anx-
ious 10 be initiated, left their marks at -Sccc,-
sionvillc.
Our camp AT this time was in the center of ,hc
IL .l,l
sorts Of pests As tho preventive aga;nst coun-
try fever, whisky anil uuminc were is>ucl to
the soldiers in small quantities. Our horses
were attacked by a strange disease that proved
very fatal. lta1pcarci first in cough and in
creased in violence until the animal died \
-mortcm examination revealed tho fact that
the lungs hal been entirely consumed.
The epcmy became docile after the lesson
they were taught at Seccssonvilc, and we were
not needed on tho pick line 50 we were or
dercl, TO Fort Johnson, in quest Of more health
full quarters anl the move WAS uu;tc an i'm
provcmcnt. We again coccl in the sea breeze
and fcasci our eyes in looking At the city of
Charleston, Fort Mou!tric. Fort Sumutcr. tn
blockade vessels, ali in full view. The lLsn re-
joiccd in sea bathing, and amuscl themselves
catching fish. But, just as an occasional vessel
would slip in anl ont of Charleston hlrJnr in
spite of the Vigilance of the cncmy. 81 an occa-
sional case of country fever would put in is ap-
pearancc, in spite Of whisky, quinnc AMI better
sanitary arrangements. William Perry. the
friend and piaymatc Of my Sctool-hoy ,hy% con
tractcl country fever nnl dicl
Sill 10
soon grow restless, and arc always ready for
n change even when it is for the worst :, wh,n
were ordered to Virginia. The men let the
Island with demonstration of joy.
Nin.