The National tribune., 1893-10-12

during the afternoon there was great
hustle in the rebel lines, and with glasses
there could be seen large bodies of troops
moving. 1t was expected that as soon as it
was dark we would be attacked.
After / was relieved, l went up to camp
and cooked some meat fresh pork, and
that, with my days ration of bread, made
my supper. One days ration of bread is
piece about as large as my fist, and is made
out of bran. For to-day / haven't any
thing, but will have to wait until we draw
rations again at night. l would like to
drop in at your house about dinner-time.
1t is very natural for one who is hungry to
| think about eating. The bread we get is
not fit to eat, and we don't get more than
a third of what we want at that and we
have the hardest duty to do we ever had,
and have to live in the trenches. The men
| have not more than half their natural
strength, and unless we get reinforcements
| within five or six days, we cannot hold out.
Last night about II o'clock the regiment
| was called to arms. The report was that
the rebels were advancing. The pits were
cleared out, extra cartridges distributed,
and we all expected they would be on US in
few minutes We could see the rebel
signal lights moving. We waited awhile
and nothing was heard.
About midnight we got some shovels and
picks and worked in our pits, and by
| morning had them fixed a great deal stronger.
think it will be impossible Tor them to
fho
| rebs stormed the fort, there were ], 900 stand
| of arms that were taken by u.s. l went and
got a good rife in the place of my old one.
They were mostly Enfield rifles of the best
kind English neutrality.
Dec. 9th day).-Yesterday we were
| told that the stock of meat had run out, and
| only bread-black bread-will be issued for
| rations. Fragments of corn-cobs and oat
husks are found in this bread, but it is not
| the quality that troubles us. The weather
| is cold, and as / threw away my knapsack
on the retreat, / am without blanket and
overcoat. The boys are making the best of
| it, and while one-half are in the trenches,
and sleeping with their guns near them, the
others kill time by telling stories, but ready
|
| breastworks.
| We don't seem to get interested in any
| thing but stories about eating and good
dinners such as we used TO have at home.
| Sometimes one of the boys will say:
| Now let US talk about something else be-
sides eating" But in a few minutes we will
| find ourselves all talking about it again. l
often dream about being at dinner at home,
but wake up as likely as not from the
ALARM OF SHARP FIRING
on the skirmish-line out in front
Dec. 18th day).-Yesterday was
out in the skirmish-pit again. but just before
starting we got our days rations What do
| you think it was? A "nubbn" of corn
corn on a cob which was not more than six
inches long. All our regiment got the same, so
| / have no reason to grumble; only, il Burn
side don't try to break out, or if help don't
| come pretty soon, we may have to go to Rich
mond after all. The rebs can't take these
works in any other way except by starving
| US out.
/ have Just heard that Burnside sent word
to our Colonel that he has quarter ratons,
such as they are, for only three days more.
When went out to the skirmish-ine, I
| took along two extra guns. They were some
of those left by the rebs in front of he fort
| when they were repulsed. Lots of the boys
have two guns now. / have three. Iloaded
each of them with the powder from two car
| tridges, and in addition to the bullets put IN
a handful of pieces of bullets cut up into
small bits. With brush stuck in the top of
the dirt in front of nay pit, so the rebs
couldn't see me when / got up to fire, it was
| like a little fort with garrison of one |
mounted two of the guns at the right and
! fafta apula 10
to be ready if the rebs should come.
All the other pits are like mine, and only
| few feet apart. The rebs would have to
clean us out first before they could attack
the trenches. kept myself awake by pick
| ing off the kernels of corn from the cob and
eating them one by one, so as to make them
| 20 as far as possible. 1t was all / had for
the day. hope it won't get any worse.
The rebs were dreadfnly spiteful in their
firing all day. If they didn't see any head
to fire at, they would put bullet into the
bushes over the pit every little while. Sey-
eral of our skirmishers were hit during the
day. had several close calls, and was glad
to get relieved, and be able to get back in the
trenches, where there was more room and
company.
Dec. 5.-The rebs are gone at last, and We
have marching orders. The boys are too
|
we can hardly realize, even yet, how this has
| all come about.
Yesterday morning it was reported that
signal from Gen. Sherman had been seen
from our lookout station on the south side
of the river. Sherman signaled Hold on !;
am coming" We didn't have to study long
TO tell what that meant. OF course, we didn't
know how soon he would get here, and we
were pretty certain that Longstreet would
try another assault somewhere along the
line before lie gave up entirely.
We cheered when we got the news from
Sherman, and the baud went up into the
fort TO play, but the rebel batteries began
shelling the fort as soon as they heard the
music, and the musicians had TO run for
the bomb proofs.
From their continual sharp skirmishng
all day we fully expected another attack,
and did everything to prepare for it, digging
and strengthening the works. We didn't
know what minute we might be called on.
BULLETS WERE PLENTY,
and hat raised on ramrod anywhere
along the trenches was sure to bring two or
three bullets.
picked up handful of kernels Of corn
from the dirt, washed them, and ate them,
of course.
| To-day there is plenty for the rebs went