The National tribune., 1893-04-27

of the kind that used to be called nail-rod.
We all took few plugs, and went on.
An old negro met us as we passed the house
and handed me a letter, saying as he did so,
lis you Col Spear?" | told him | was not
Col Spear. and he advised me to read the let
ter anyway, which l did, and found that the
owner of the house knew the Colonel, and had
left this letter for him asking that his property
might be protected, and asking him to take
possession of the house and make it his head
quarters. After reading | handed the letter
back to the darby, aud told him that l did not
know when Col. Spear would be along On our
way back to camp that night we helped our
selves to several pounds of tobacco apiece. The
old negro major-domo Of the promises did not
see US get il.
The next day we came out again and eX-
tended our rsmbles in various directions, with
out finding any Confederate troops outside the
city of Petersburg. Before leaving camp we
had provided ourselves with sacks so that we
could carry about 10 pounds apiece of the to-
bacco. The m3ior- domO saw us this time, and
came down to the shed and threatened us with
the vengeance of his master. He said his
master would raise hades with U.s. Poor old fell
low, he thought his master was all-rOwerful
aud could do with us about what he pleased.
One day, in going out, | rec0lect stopping
opposite narrow road through the pines,
about in the rear of where Fort He'll was after
through the opening in the pines. They were
nearly mile away. After looking moment,
! made the remark that it would not do for us
to stay there long, as the Johnnies would think
we were a group of officers and fire at us.
Frank McCOrd made testing remark about
my being afraid. lie had hardly uttered the
words when bail fred from the rebel works
struck the ground about 80 feet from him,
ricocheted and bounded over his horse, passing
about foot in front of his breast, aud went on
with an angry whiz z 2. McCOrd was detailed
man, by order of Secretary Stanton, from Bat
terry II, 1st Ohio L. A. Wood Dodd was an
other one from the same battery. An account
of some of their adventures will be found in
The NATIONAL TRIBUNE of July y, 1892.
Itkept all hands busy in learning the country,
but after time most of us got so that We knew
it pretty we'll in all directions. except in rear
of the Confederate works On one occasion.
during our early occupancy of that country
found To the left and rear of our position
large icehouse with a good many tons of ice in
it, which proved valuable find. and teams
were sent ont and hauled it in. None of the
ice was over four inches in thickness
We used to occasionally get Petersburg paper,
in which dire calamities were prophesied for
the Yankees. They could not stay in that
country for the want of water. There was
severe drouth which lasted six more weeks
at this time, bat while they were IN such high
glee over our sufferings, hundreds of wells
were being dug all over the country in our pos
session, and l don't remember of ever seeing
one over II or IA feet in depth.
Headquarters moved several times before we
finally settled down directly in front of Peters
burg little in the rear of the brow of the hill
short distance north of the Prince George
Courthouse. At that point we did not dig
over five feet before finding good water and
plenty of il. Plenty of men around Head
quarters had private wells. A description of one
might interest some OF my readers, and | will
describe oHe belonging to Jack Coppn- Ono
day while Army Headquarters were southeast
OF Petersburg McEueauy and went out to see
what we could find, and we suddenly met Cop
pin. ! have always suspected Mack knew ex
actly where to find him, and went little out
Of his way to do It, Get off your horses and
come down into my well" said Coppin. A
mound of earth about 20 feet across, raised Eve
or six feet above the level OF the surface of The
ground, was before US. When we passed he
hind the mound there was an opening Oh the
side away from Petersburg. Coppin led the way.
The well was about II feet square, with steps
cut into the tenacious clay soil on two sides.
We stepped into the opening standing nearly
upright, and went down to 4 level floor in The
center of which WAS "A spring about three feet
square, dug out of u solid bed of mari. Seats
had been left on two sides. The top was covered
with pire logs and brush Oh which the mound
of earth was raised. 1t was perfect bomb
proof cool and comfortable. The water was
good. l never saw another quite as elaborate.
We struck out from here for the Jerusalem
Plank road. A corps oil infantry had como
along and the poor old major -domo had not
succeeded in saving even plug of his masters
tebaeco.-JUDsoS KNIGHT. Postofice Depart
mcHt. Washington. d. C.
ITO he eoHGfauedl