The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-18
IN LAST IDAYS
OF C0Nf.l|DE
personal Experiences on Lieut..
w. r. Abbott, Co. c., First
Regiment Engineer Troops.
aBREAK up AT PETERSBURG
Tie Trials and Troubles From
Thereto the End at APP
aponlattox.


ponlattox.
At the time $of tho '1oreak up ut
Petersburg, I was "a second lieutenant of
engineering Il rools.s engaged IN constant
and daily work upon tho lines. DurirU
tho latter PARK of5tlle summer or 1861
we had been employed In. erecting bntte
5des and Strengthening our defences
around Petersburg and Richmond, and to
assist the, men OF the regiment, a con-
siderable force OF NEGROES had been Inn
pressed, amounting at times to several
hundred, ana put upon the work.. Being
good hands with pick, shovel and axe,
to work these negroes rendered excellent
service and were Of material assistance.
Tho chief trouble We had to contend with
Z IN ma king use OF them, was their liability
to disease and epidenlics. Ono or these
latter. Of special violence aud fatality
attacked them While iii camp on the
lines between The James and Apprentices.
For time, they died like sheep. 70 be
stricken with the disease (whatevcr 1t
was) was to be doomed to death within q
< few%llours. & From the symptoms and
B course of the attack am confident now
that 1t was kcereLro spinal ninigitis, MI
though ut tho time, and II think. our
young surgeon was entirely ignorant of
its name and nature If
CONSTRUCTION COUNTERNLINED.
After the seNploslon OF the mine, at the
Crater, JulyGtsao 1861 precautionary
- Z,
measures were ere, Immediately taken ken aE py
SGeneral Lee to prevent g zecnrrence So 7
Ellhe at winch night prove more
{stEt l s"llnch mad SO SIS
cord duuf1lg tile
au ttu9n1n and win ter OF sls64- S"c we're
Sehgaged IN con structln a ISL coflp1eLe
system oIecountermines3 by SINKING Sslllhtts
at many point behind our lines running
out tlr1 ft 8 rom the bottoms q these
shafts insNthe \ direction OF The cneHy's
works. I, and then connecting these drifts
4 by Itilnn els parallel to our own ies.
n Nh chs cnmpl eted It formed q n net work
3 Of subt crranean passages in our front,
hayhich sprcciuded the possibility of a. ;sur-
SpriseEorS g fsaster fro mthat direction. The
SsicrYoush rain and tension upon our
troops on that portion or III elines was
terrible. So close to the enemy we're
our works; SO irregular in outline, having
tlJcStl the
seSigencies ofsfthe situation permitted at
the time OF the attack in the previous
summer. hat trnverses were necessary 81
every few ards.S intervsp . and nven then
aSl,tan never knew In changing his 20
Ssition, that lie would be safe from, the
deadly aim Of the eneiny's ssharpsh ooters,
THE DEADLY 4SITARPSHOOTBRs
This 1sllarpshuotiiig Ton both sides) was
stlcsmost persistent and fatal that I,laye
ever read or-Akards e Of Many thrilling
Incidents might he given, Illustrating
this remark; but Il simple, personal Eex-
perlenee is all that have t!ir1niee for. On
one occasion was engaged in superin-
tending some work at the TOP or a Shaft.
and, as tho large Buckets, filled With
dirt, were drawn IN IN wind and tie
loads we're dumped. 4 some loose dirt would
gather about tho: mouth Of the shaft. and
shAinr 5drodden hvtho foet8 - IA; rosa Z 4 I
work would grai1unllv 5nnd .irnnercenti,slv
y, ia the level or the'uro,,nd there sli.rlit-
IL, Beinr six feat higbTs'I 4 md nj MN
last 81 i inos m,,ch n,nrgt,, hetssca !, ths
nj M hein1, u, soa -, tia Vol,
(, ,n % ~ e1 81 ! ~ ,,ot an &c
,,,t go,
III.
=
tne :, - 7,
io - ~,
t,o !, ~ :, Icy ~, ~
cl !.
elts 81 " stile OF ~ =,
&llrst q Rllld So
among the nlellJss,n llc trench or one
of2 tiielll 70 gleeually raise q Il cap Or
u TIC end, OF u lra1lzrod Just above f(hf
level OF the oisIsapet, and thenilay WAGER;
upon He y lll1lmne of seconds before y
;w't would /; be pierced by q ball
a I1V4ACIAi u OF PIllIsRsBuRG
When, on the I'd IL OF April, 1865, The
thin sltirnLsh Alino (which manned the
works In from Il ofa ~ Petersburg VAS run
over byatlle ma ssG,s Of the enemy, aud
General Ice Wasi forced ITO draw his men
Into the second line of3{inner defenses;
al,out the ,city,,in' order3to hold it5until
provision lnigh THE made for the evncna-
ton OF Richmond and the retreat Of his
army on thmt night,I was then on the
lines betweenSt lis {f.Appomattox and James,
In 5comparatiYely comfortable plight and
NO had with llahstll u cons ID arable nntnt-
Der OF NEGROES, iWllo accom- panied us on