The National tribune., 1902-02-13

| lofty trees and picking off Confederates,
who could not return the compliment, as
there was little timber around the Port
! Hudson works.
| On one occasion Gen. Beale came along
/ the line with his staff, on foot OF course,
| for mounted man would not have lived
a minute.
The sharpshooters saw him, and the
ping" ping" of the Berdan rifles kept
the General bowling most graciously. the
men dofling their caps at what Appeared
over-politeness upon his part, for he laugh
ingiy bent his head to the humblest pri-
vate and remarked: TOO hot here for
comfort boys" and observing that those
who had accompanied him had all become
stoop-shonldered, he added:
Il must hasten to get my staff out of
danger"
After that inspections" were made by
night.
After the terrible assault Of June II un-
der flag Of truce to bury the dead a
United States soldier called out:
''Rcbs, are you hungry?'
No, Iank; got plenty" and the jaw
bone Of mule and an ear of corn were
held mp as a proof
Many of the men longed also to know
the secret Of Samson's act with the jaw
bone OF an ass, so that they might try it
upon the Union army; but there were nc
f0Ot-nOtes Of EXPLANATION in the Bible rec
ord, and the Chaplains refraincd from
reading that particular part of the Scrip
lures just then.
We're coming over to see yon on July
Fourth called out a patriot in blue.
Just do, and wen help you TO cele-
brate," was the answer of a man in gray.
But the Union lines were steadily draw
ing nearer night by night, and in front nf
Battery X. 1st Miss. l.. A, cottou-bnln
fort with open ports and dozen guns bad
been pushed mp to within 100 yards, and
one of the Union 'crew" called out
This is 4 gunboat on wheels, and we'H
lay her alongside OF your fort before long
Johnnies."
In front Of the Federal works were
pits" for the sharpshooters, the men en-
tering them before dawn and leaving them
after nightfall; these the Confederates
watched rcligiously, and often would fire
at puff Of smoke from a pit. and the
silence that followed from there during
the day told the story that 'the sentinel
was off duty forever"
Gen. Banks. in his report, said:
Assaults were frequently made and an
incessant fire was kept mp upon the en-
emy night and day, leaving him without
sleep or rest"
Between the fleet. mortar boats. heavy
siege guns, light artillery, sharpskooters.
forming parties and manuvering Of the
United States army, no Confederate in
Port Hudson will say that Gen Banks
was not perfectly right, and that il was
"ot monkey and parrot time to the
defenders for 80 long days and nights:
how very long only they could know, with
the intense heat, the terrible strain upon
body and brain, the drain upon nerve
forces, sickness, starvation rations and
Death constantly an elbow companion.
One of the great causes of distress was
the lack Of tobacco to the inveterate users
of the weed.
The snfferings of such men were in
tense, and they chewed bark and smoked
leaves as a substitute for tobacco.
This made their mouths and throats
sore, thus adding TO their misery.
One instance that occurred in the |
writer's presence viii illustrate how much |
a tobacco-chewer iongcd for the weed.
Under flag Of truce, after the magnifi- |
cent assault OF June II. a United States |
officer gave the writer some cigars. which |
were shared with friends one of whom |
was Cant. Bradford, of the Mississippi |
Light Artillery
The Captain so priced his cigar that |
he smoked IT in iBstallments. and at last
used the butt TO chew, after each jndul- !
geAce putting 1t away for future refer
Discovered in the act by an Arkansas
soldier, he was asked:
What you chewin', Cap'nf"
Tobacco"
Great Cesar! Whar did you git :t?"
1T was given to me-"
Jlst sell me some, Cap'n."
have none"
Only leetle chaw."
II am sorry, bat this is all have
"Cap'n, ! has $40 goIdpiecc here TIL
give you jis ter rub that chaw q yourn
across my MOUTH