Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-12-23

The field works erected in defense of
Petersburg, Va, beginning at the Apo
mattox rivers southern bank and thence
running southerly and westerly, were held
during the winters of 1S64-65 by General
Bushrod Johnson's division. Four brigades
constituted this division. Ex-Governor
Henry A. Wise, of Virginia, commanded
one, Ex-senator Matt w. Ransom, of
North Carolina led a second, a third was
from South Carolina and Gracie's brigade
from Alabama was the fourth. Georgia
was represented in this brigade by one
company in the Twenty-fifth North Car
DINA regiment. Bob Phinizy was captain
of this company, and instead of feeling an
alien he was probably better known and
certainly as well liked as any officer in
the brigade. His high spirits never quailed
before the miseries Of the times. During
the winter he was appointed or elected a
Justice of the peace. He bid us goodbye
with tears in his eyes. He informed us
that he was a Judge, and though 1T was
hard to credit, 1t was believed that he
would preside over one of the courts Of
record-a court of law and equity.
Strange to say, Wise's brigade had seen
but little warfare until the seige Of Pc
tersburg began. The others were seasoned
veterans. During the autumn of 1854 two
brigades were in the intrenchments and
two were withdrawn for rest and recuper-
alton every two weeks. More or less fight
ing was going on daily and the stress and
strain on the men in the trenches We're
terrible. On one occasion the enemy made
a heavy demonstration IN Wise's front
end it was so formidable that part of the
brigade were driven from the works. Ran
SONS brigade soon appeared and drove
the Federals back and the former stu
alton was re-esta blished.
When the brigades alternated in the
trenches their ingenuity was taxed to
make their condition less severe. Planks
and boards were highly priced to make
hunks, and when one brigade left the
trenches and did not carry with them all
their belongings the incoming brigade, es-
peciany the Twenty-fifth North Carolina,
appropriated to its use thenceforth and
forever whatever was left behind. Wise's
brigade, being nearer home, had more
of these tconVeniences than any other. on
one occasion, when relieved by Ransom's
brigade Virginian said as the soldiers
passed each other: Don't you fellows take
the planks we are leaving here. You can
use them, but leave them when you go
out. Don't take them away, like you did
before" 1--WE never took you-uns plank
nor nothin youruns ever left" Indignantly
answered a tarheel mountaineer." Yes
you have; you take all we leave" replied
half a dozen Virginians. Yes we-uns did
take one thing you uns left bout six weeks
ago." retorted one Of the Carolinians. 'One
thing! You own up to one do you? We'd
like to know what 1t was we left that
YOU say you took" "These Enes,' was the
silencing answer.
It is difficult to realize the life the SOL
der led in the intrenchments east of
Petersburg. The lines of the contending
armies were less than a quarter OF mile
apart, and about a mile from the river
. at the point the Confederate line pre-
scented a salient angle they were opposed
by a re-entrant of the federals on Hare s
Hill, crowned by a fort of twenty-four
guns and mortars, some of the latter
throwing a two hundred pound shell. Not
a day or night passed but what more or
less firing was going on and the south
ern soldiers gave the place on Hare's
hill the appropriate name OF Fort Hell.
More than a year before Ransom's bril-
gade had been encamped on Major Hare's
place and then an incident occurred
which / will here relate, as it will ex-
plain something further on.
Colored women visited the brigade often
bringing cooked food of various kinds,
which they disposed Of to the soldiers.
A member of the 49th North Carolina
bought meat pie one day and when eat
ing it his suspicious were aroused. He
carried IT to the regimental surgeon, who
examined it and pronounced II dog meat.
Each regiment OF the brigade had SOU
brlquet and sometimes two, and hence
forth the 10th was known as the dogeat-
ers.
To return, some men were killed and
wounded daily. Rains flooded the bitches
and fuel was extremely scarce. The men
were furnished with a small supply Of
coal from the mines of Chesterfield coun-
ty, which they tried to burn in the open
air or on the flreplaces of their clay
chimneys. The daily ration was at the