The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-03-02
Mistcllanp.
Confederate Caye-DwelIers.

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In paper on The Cave-Dwellers OF
the Confederacy, by David Dodge
which appears in the Atlantic Montb1y
an interesting account is given of II,
caves in which the deserters from HE
conft dtrate army lived: After the con
iederate ranks were thinned by the
desperate fighting of 1868, the lines of
the deserter fell in hard places. The
Richmond government set enerort
ically to work to bring every avail.
able man to the front. Presiden Davis
by proclamation urged every man to
hasten TO his country's defense. and
promised pardon for all past delin-
J quency, provided the offender now
fastened to do his duty. Stringent
orders and threats of punishment in
fused energy into the officers of the
home guard. Detachments of confed.
crate troops visited the neighborhood
at short intervals, while the homes of
the deserters were watched and re-
leatedly searched. Then it was that
the deserters, as we called all who
shirked military duty, whether they had
ever actually been in the army or not.
had recourse to a mode of hiding which
they had learned from runaway slaves.
The deserter made a vast improvement
on the burrow of the runaway negro.
His cave was larger, better constructed,
and better appointed than its prototype,
but not better concealed. Banding to-
| gether in squads of two or three. some
unfrequented place would be chosen,
generally on hillside to avoid moist
ure, and as near stream as practicable,
Tor the easiest and safest way of dispos-
ing of the earth thrown up in digging
the pit was to dump it in running
water The site being carefully Sc
lected and reconnoitred from every pos
sible way of approach, watch was SET.
and work was begun aud pressed with
the utmost dispatch.
First the leaves or pine were
raked back and space d" lined off >
usually six by eight feet, but often
considerably larger. Then the ubioui
tous bedqnilt was spread to catch every
particle of the tell tale clay, and grub.
bing hoes, spades and all available i'm.
pements were put IN rapid motion. As
any prolongation of the work increased
The danger of discovery, the object was
to get it dug and concealed at the earli-
est possible moment. Every hand that
could be trusted-old men, women and
children-was called in to assist. To
these auxiliaries fell the hardest part of
the task, that of disposing of the dirt.
which of course could not be left
near the cave. This was generally
" toted" away in buckets and pigeins,
and dumped in the adjacent stream
and as the direction from which the
cave was approached bad to be con-
stantly changed lest the faintest vestig,
of a path should betray the spot, the
labor of Transporting eight or ten cub,
yards of ealt tn in this primitive fashion
was no light undertaking.
The proper depth, commonly about
six feet, being attained, fireplace was
cut in the earthen sides of the cave and
connected with flue cut through the
adjacent earth. Across the pit, and
slightly below the surface, were then
placed stout poles, aud on these the
roof OF pine boards, while over all the
earth and leaves were carefully replaced
so as to conceal all signs of having been
disturbed. Pine needles made very
coed carpet. A bed was constructed by
driving forked stakes into the ground,
and VI on these were laid small poles
topped with pine boughs. Sometimes
a cupboard" was cut in the earthen
walls.
What gave the cave-dweller most
concern was The disposal of the smoke
from his chimney. Even under the
best OF circumstances, in the fairest,
warmest weather, and in the driest
soil, cave was a dismal abode.
There was darkness, chillness, a
strange and grave-like silence down
there, which made fire, the only light
obtainable in those hard times, an in
dispensable companion. When rainy
weather came, and the walls oozed
water, only heat made it habitable.
Care was taken to use the drest and
most smokeless fuel, but as even that,
though burnt ever so sparingly in the
daytime, would cause some smoke,
various plans were hit upon to mini.
mize the danger OF betrayal from this
source. When practicable, the cave
would be dug near dead tree, which
was first blackened by fire, unless one
could be found alrt ady pa italy burned
by the chance fire of some coon or
opossum hunter. Failing this, an old
tree-slump, after being charred, was
ingenious planted over the chimney
mouth so that the smoke might rise
through or around it. The object of
these devices was, of course, that
should any unfriendly eye discover the
smoke, it would be attributed to one
of the accidental fires which some
times smouldered in dead timber for
q II IN a.
occupants, putting their dependence
on good eyesight and legs, would,
when no especial danger was appre-
hended, betake themselves to the
woods during the day, and use the
caves only as sleeping-p places. Indeed,
few of the deserters took refuge under.
ground except in cases OF pressing
need, which, toward the last, were