The National tribune., 1900-11-15

to walking we soon covered the distanc,
to our camp, then located in a hollow :
half mile from the trenches of Vicksburg
Shortly after reaching our camp a voice
was heard calling, "GSth Ohio, here's you
mail" No more the thought of being tireC
Tor hungry, as that most welcome voice
brought every comrade to his feet. Bunch
es and packages were handed over to the
Orderly-Sergeant of each company. The
Orderly would then mount q log or 6
stump and call out the names on the en-
velopes, passing out each one as its owner
answered, Here" When the last name
was called and the last letter delivered tho
men would retire to some quiet place tC
read and mediate upon what they con
tanned of joy or sorrow, love or friendship
| IN THE TRENCHES.
| June we were assigned to duty in the
! line investing Vicksburg, where we re
manned until June % During the siege
covering the intervening time we occupied
a position On the Jackson road. Near by
was battery Of siege guns that had been
brought forward from the Yazoo landing
during our absence.
The formidable works of the enemy once
more doomed up in our front. These to all
appearances were deserted But upon
closely observing the top of that long line
of earthwOrks, we could now and then see
head, when leaden ball would whisper
word of caution for the owner to take
it down. The same whispers were heard
on our side, and We We're not long in line
before the besieged city before we learned
that those leaden messengers carried death
with them, as well as words of caution.
If the enemy's heads were not visible to
us, we would fire at the upper part of
their works, well knowing that many
heads We're in that vicinity.
We felt able to maintain our position,
and that the end would be all right. How
| ever, we needed shOveis and picks, that
we might be able to more thoroughly i'll
trench ourselves. In due time these came,
after which q detail was made from each
regiment to dig rifle-pits and Zigzag trench
es in the direction of the enemy. This
work, well remembered by us, may not be
so plain to others. When in range of the
enemy's guns, trained upon us from diff
ferent directions, we were compelled to
guard ourselves against them all. If we
dug trench straight toward the enemy,
either infantry or artillery would get in a
position to shoot through the whole length
of it. But if we dug the trench crooked
and threw the dirt up high on the side
next to the enemy, we increased our
chances of living a while longer, which
most of us preferred to do. We never dug
our trench far enough in one direction to
make it possible for the enemy to rake it
with his deadly fire, but made frequent
turns, when chug! The enemy's leaden
ana iron balls would go into the piled-up
dirt. But the most of this dangerous
though important work was done under
the cover of darkness.
Where there was special danger we dug
the trench quite deep, and threw up the
dirt for our defense, and by so doing the
enemy could not hit us until he first shot
hole through the piled-up dirt We never
n lO nUIF fFnra nh
long ladders to climb out. And right here
L am reminded of plate in Headley's life
of Gen. Grant, where in the siege of Vicks-
burg the soldiers are represented CARRYING
ladders to scale the enemy's works. In re.
ply | ask: How many of the heroes of
Nicksburg ever saw one of those ladders?
Generally, when digging in the trench,
the head or end men would be compelled to
prosecute their work under the protection
Of sap-roller, which consisted of a round
basket eight or 10 feet long and from four
TO six feet in diameter. These rollers were
made of woven wire and willow brush, the
center firmly packed with cotton, and as
we moved forward these were rolled over
and over straight toward the enemy, and
IN front of those working in the trench,
thus protecting them from the fire of
sharpshoOters.
Under these friendly projections we
worked our way toward the enemy's lines,
notwithstanding the ceaseless yolleys of
musketry and blazing sun.
Meantime there was more noise around
us than that made by the muskets of
friend and foe, as back behind us was
planted our batteries, which at intervals
would send shot and shell over our heads
and into the enemy's works. Our guns
were sure to get response from the enc
my, and there was nothing that would
flatten us out in the trenches so quickly
as the roar of the enemy's heavy siege
gun, named Whistling Dixie, as its non
derous shell came shrieking and squailing
through the air in our direction and ex
ploded in our lines. On one occasion one
Of these big shells failed to explode, when
some OF the boys went and dug it out of
the ground. The rebel measured II inches.