Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-07-04

Il was a rule we soldiers learned to recoc-
nize, that II You camped down at night with
strict injunctions 20 be ready TO march on
at daybreak, with advice from your officers
that you'd better not waste any time in get
ting up comfortable shelter b ecause this was
the most temporary kinl of a halt then fo-
a certainty, if you followed this advice, You
were going to be kept right in that bivouac
long enough to repent not going TO work at
getting comfortably houseH So after some
expar lence, We never took any stock in a.
surances of brief stay; we went right to
work ~ house building on the assumption
that we should stay amonth; II We marched
next day no great harm was done but If We
stayed a week we were well paid for our
tr, uhle
This was our state Of mind when we halte
back of Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburg
at point on the railroad which thencefor
ward, possibly to this day, became known
as 'Stoneman's Switch We halted at night,
and bivouacked in thick pine woods, which
extended for miles around. Before we lefi
that spot for the last time that forest had
disappeared; every tree had been cut, first
wastefully, at shoulder height from the
ground, then down to a decent stump, and
then this stump was cut 10 the very quick
Finally we had no wood at all
Being, as i said, aware of the long dura-
tion OF supposed temporary STAYS in military
life, this house of ours c'shanty" was the
correcs name In camp Ian .uage) was
promptly begun In our regiment they
were not so strenuous for uniformity of
architec, ure as in some commands, and
allowed scope for individuality; a, long q,
tbs line of front doors was prett ty straight
hArn bn
our shanties Of siZs and style to suit our
tastes Certainly, Eugene and ! had about
the worst looking one Of the settlement
1t VAS first, a cellar dug the full size Of
the ground plan, about two feet deep Next
came a wall of split pine logs, resting on
the ground and held up by stakes, carry lng
up the collar wall 20 a height Of five feet in
all Now, the roof was of canvas, made of
ssvera of the little shelter tents fastened
to ether AMI stretched over a ridge pole,
VIII ch was supported by two stout uprIghts
In front aud rear The front. or door, was
also of canvas until We got our chimney
built, later on Our next step was to caulk
our wall with mud. Glorious Virginia mud! I!
Tie one proiuc: Of which there was always
enough Plastic as butter, but tough as
spruce gum when drie for architectural
purposes, a imirable; for pedestrian u-e>,
vile We p!aStered our wal pretty tightly
with this natural stucco and tank u up the
lower edge We ditched around our houS,
and conducted the waters into the com
ny gutter. Our bed, which com
pri-ed ali our furni ure, being ais
chair, sofa and table, was our
mkt care II was spring bed
We split long, straight pine saplings and
laid them crOsswi|e Of the shanty on 81
I'orts which held them about level with the
surface Of the ground. The bed was abou
three fest wide Eu-ene and / were 10th
slender. When sitting on the euge Of the
b Il our feet rest1Si against the front wall OF
our mansion Here we talked; here W.,
smoked; here We read; in pleasant weather,
with our front cInvas fastened back, We
COnversei with our neighbOrs, discussing
every subject under heaven, and here W.
lat Eu :, he and l. by cur own tiresiie after
the chimney was built
Our chimney was a picturesque structur.
Of sods The mortar which held to-eIhe
tlee substitutes for brick was the aforesaIu
M d An open fireplace faced the rig
. and man Of the two inmates who sat o.
the led and that man did the cooking iron
that position Our chimney was a larg.
me covering more than half the front
The houSe and forming our front wall, VIC
canvas removed. A wooden maut i uet 81
the top Of the fireplace Above this the
chimney tapered somewhat and endei in a
barrel Some Of our comrades had double
harreei chmueys but We found il hard
enough TO stea one barrel at time 10 sup
p-y those which caught fire; total loss; no
Insurance.
This is the biggest house which | have
he!Tsi u build wi h nv own hands and as
get tO dreaming through nv past life |
ALWAYS work back To it. just like In" house
that Jack built guess Jack was a soldier
and what made US more attaChs to our
shanty was that We 50 many times ba le it
good-hy dur nc the month we owned it:
each timt We trudg-d away We faced our
fri nd> across the river; they laid us out
ike brave fellows as they were. When we
found there was no use we drifiel back.