Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-24
Vicksbure's Bomb Proof Cave.

Included I'm the national park near
this city is cave home, which was the 4
refuge Of a number of families during 4
the siege of VickSburS, and which has,
most interesting history.
An old soldier, speaking of theseavt{
said: 81
Il am glad the cave, or bomb proof
as it was known, Is included in the I
national park, for l I feel that it will
never be destroyed. Ithink this cave
is about the last one left in this sec1
ton. The onward march of progress
and Improvement has wiped thes(
mementos of the war entirely out. I'd
six long months we did some right still
fighting around here, and told mem
| women and children found these cayeA
| q good place to seek safety 81
enemy simply had US and they CAV
a hard fight. but we kept them d0t
| for six months. II we hadn' t%Fu1
shy on grub we might haSe-besn fl!Al
ing yet S.s MI
I'VE old fellows who. ssfit, bled N
died for the lost catAe have = ter
place in our hearts for these caNes
as our city has builded and e4h n
they have disappeared. ns did fhk FL.
fications and entrenehments. Na3 "
neighbor anad friend. the once han
Yankee, can have pointed ouk to hl1
| this one large cave as ttes%ohe tim
| home of families who took refuge In IL
| dark recessess during the days en-
nights they We're throwing shot an(l
| shell into US. 1t was here that ~
young lady insisted that her pianoa
should be brought, serving as a bed 81
| night and n table at meal time. On
this same old piano a child was born
and another winged its flight TO
| another world.
| But, my. my, what tales of history
romance. self sacrifice, pleasure. pain
-everything-these old walls of the
cave could tell if they could only speak
In this underground home there have
been few changes made since the bitter
days of the war. Its owner saw that
it was properly cared for until it was
bought as portion of the park. The
| old cannon balls and shells which were
| placed at it's entrance many years ago
| have remained unlisturbed, even relic
hunters not daring to cart them away
] The passageway to the main cave u
about three feet wide and twelve feet
long. but after gettiAR into the main
room, twelve by sixteen feet, you can
easily see how easy IL was to live M
this underground home. gentlenr443
of Vicksburg has a number of artiele.5
of furniture and cooking utensils whick.
were used In the cave, among them be-r
ing pair of candle molds used tor
4 making tallow dips for lighting the
dplace. Or course, 1t was necessary to-
do most of the cooking outside Of the
cave. as there was no outlet for the
lsmoke save through the main entrance
Ent. neighbor.scooking didn't worry our
tgood housewives much in these days
The question was getting something to
cook. Why, j, have lived a week on
a quart of COOLERS and little corn
thread and moIasses
" We made our coffee out Of parched
Ewheat. oats and sweet potatoes, ana
: FUSED long sweetening-molasses Lei
me tell you the truth, neighb0r, De-
4 lieve that lots of our women folk ana
children would have starved had 1t no.
been for the faithful slaves. who wouid
go foraging' for them. Most OF the
) slaves would steal any time before they
Wauld see their white folks go hungry.
i BY CAD. sir. 1t makes my blood DOH
i even now to see one Of these old-tlme
Il darkies arrested for stealing. for they
learned the art Of hooking In slavery
; days."-Vicksburg (Miss) Correspond
I | ence Washington Star.