The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-05-03

the lines from City Point away up to the ex-
IRENE Federal left, distance of about Is miles.
In this manner we became acquainted with the
troops in each corps Of the Army of the POto-
mac. The pickets of the Fifth Corps made an
agreement with the pickets of the enemy in
front Of them that there should be no picket
firing without due notice being given. For
time this bargain was adhered to- and then we
picked and shOveled away in full view Of the
enemy, with nothing to disturb the peace and
tranquility of our minds As there were some
colored troops in the Ninth Corps, no such bar
gain could be made, and we never Telished the
work upon the Notifications in front of the
Ninth.
By the side Of the Jerusalem plank road was
fort commonly known as Fort He'll" The
magazine in this was built entirely by my own
company (D). The position was exposed to the
incessant fire of the sharpshooters. The in
closed space was to be rooted over with poles,
upon which some three or four feet of earth
could be heaped. Two volunteers were called
for to go on top and fix these poles in their
proper position. This high perch made the men
good targets for the enemy yet two as brave
boys as ever wore the blue instantly responded.
They were James Mills, of whom have heard
nothing since the war and John L. Morgan,
now an assistant foreman in the Navy Yard at
Washington, ID. G. The poles had been hauled
during the night and left in the rear of the
IOFG. Hdl luSb CdIIlGu OuC Oh NY SDOuluGF 10
the magazine when a bullet, probably from a
sharpshooter's rifle, passed between Morgan
and Mills, who were scarcely more than a foot
apart, came so close to my head that l felt
the wind on my cheek, and struck Austin J..
Atkins, who was standing few feet farther in
the rear. He fell instantly, probably shot
through the heart, as he grOaued but once after
I reached him and helped to put him on a
stTetcher Frequently our work would be in
farrupfad nv commanding nlpuu fha t4b nIa
line.
Suspicion at one time arose that the Confed-
crates were about to repeat the Federal tactics
of July and 4, and send part of the lortilica-
tions skyward by means of q mine charged
with powder To thWart their designs, sys-
tenn of countermining was instituted. 1t be-
came our duty to do this work and much might
be said of this unique species of warfare, but
for the sake of brevity l will only mention the
fact that certain localities were suspected of
being the ones where the C0nfederates were
trying to reach our lines by an underground
tunnel.
Going into the ditch in front of fort toward
which it was thought the enemy had evil de-
signs, we dug great wells, probably 20 or 80
feet deep, and connected them by tunnels at
the bottom. All noise would be hushed occa-
sionally, when, with cars to the ground away
down there in the bowels of the earth, we would
listen intently for the dull thud of the enemy's
picks. This countermiuing was hard and dis
agreeable work, but it had one redeemiug fea-
tnre: while this far underground, shots from
the foe had no terrors for u.s.
One day during a long lull in the firing of
the sharpshooters l saw Gen. Hancock come
into fort and mount the parapet, and with a
feld-glass deliberately scan the Confederate
works directly opposite. A few seconds after
he stepped down, two shells came almost SIM
ultaneousy over the place where he had stood
and burst just within the fort. He escaped un-
hurt. but the earth was wet with the life blood
of the Captain of the garrison.
l trust that the time is coming when the
brave knights of the pick and shovel Will re-
ceive the recognition to which they are so
Justly entitled.-WALTER III. PARCELS, Co. d,
50th N. Y. Eng, Lewistown, Pa.