The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-04
SLEEPING ~ 4 HAMMOCK.
civil War Veterans "Reminiscences
of Life i'm the Army.
New York Sur


Il see they say that soldiers in Cuba
ought to sleep in hammocks for their
heaiths sake" said a veteran Of the civil
war. II never slept in a hammock but
once. and that was when | was in the
army at the time of the civil war. But
my purpose In sleeping in hammock
was not to guard against malaria or damp
ness or anything of that sort. because we
Were a. that time in settled camp that
was toierabfy SaiubriouS, and where We
had beds raised Oft the ground made of
barrel slaves. cracker box covers and one
thing and another, my hammock was sole
~ for comfort II was very hot in the
tent. and | thought l might he little
cooler in Il hammock, and made one my
self out of a blanket
There was plenty of wood around
where We were then, and we. that is. the
folks in our tent. had set up couple Of
tall, stout posts about six feet apart
alongside OF our tent and strung line be-
tween them 10 hang our washing on.
used these two posts for hammock posts
took down the clothes lire and tied a
piece Of good. stout cord around each end
Of my blanket leaving plenty 90 end on
each. and then I made these ropes fast
securely around the posts, pretty well up
ana then was all right. All had TO do
was 10 get in and so Ia sleep.
But ! had the greatest time getting
amt thought before l got IN that
should kick In the side OF the tent and
wake M everybody: but I didn't. and final
ny managed 10 get over into IL I had no
~prea6ers and no pillow To spread 1t out
and found II crowded me very hard
head and foot. and II saggei down in the
middle like 4 bag. II was the first time
Ia ever bear In . hammock. ana ii was
about az uncomfortable az could be-
suppose that was due largely To the ham
mock itself. or the way II was slung. for
there must be such a thing as comfort
able hammock, because there's plenty If
neU tAat sleep I'm hammocks every might
and like em. and find it hard work to get
used 10 beds again al first when they 20
ashore bat | found 1t hard work To get
1sed to nv hammock, and there vas one
thing I hadn't counted oH AT all. and that
Hss ths mosquitoes. They were lad
enough IN the tent hut out here they had
free approach from all directions. and the
blanket was Just No inpedrnent 50 Them
at all: II didn't even oend their beaks:
G0thing snort OF sheet iron or wooden
blanket could have kept them out
But sort ot seir. a. a matter o. pride.
hat / ought 20 stick IL out and Gid I
covered Bp my bead and pretty soon |
went 10 sleep. hanging there between the
two posts Bat / dldat stay there all
night. Along some tine IN the morning
"l4fa - u tS SIM fftCft Iaf ara me HifUte
camp was very stu. / dreamed / heard a
con taud ard woke up ard found nv fe,t
sftit Gp in tA+' air bat NV shoulders ~
tha ground. If9a Fope AZ the head end If
the hammock had parted and let Tny head
drop In tae ground
y Didn't pSt ta@ hammock back. toak
sIawn the Other end and put the clothes
line back on the posts and crept into the
tent quietly and lay down on ny barred
slaves After trying the hammock found
see BED more comfortable"