The Washington herald., 1914-12-27

small, and always In the rear. as the
men did not relish the idea Of a confed-
crate visitor popping in upon them dur
ing sleeping hours. strip OF canvas
the duty Of which was to keep out the
rain, but which was more effective IN
keeping in all the smoke from the fre-
places-completed the quarters
In the smaller bonib-proofs there was
a single large fireplace, but in the larger
ones there were many small ones over
the fires the family cooking was done.
and many were the choice odors that
drove the men out for breath OF fresh
air.
The chinneys to the hreplaces-they
were really ornaments. for most OF the
smoke passed through the chambers and
out through the rear entrances-Were
constructed OF empty oyster cans filled
with clay. and sometimes from wooden
barrels lined with the same material
When the clay lining dried II usually
fell down the ffue into the fire below,
scattering SCOT and ashes over the men
and allowing the wooden chimney TO
break into a blaze
Many were the night alarms that called
out the soldiers to extinguish fires. On
such occasions the Confederates greeted
them with a heavy fusiIIate and q TRADE
} Of boots and jeers that was more ef-
fective than bullets in arousing the ire
Of the men.
The Works Flooded.
The historian Of the Seventh Rhode
Island Regiment. W. p. Hopkins, made
note Of his experiences in the first rain
storm after the regiment entered Fort
He'll"
Its architectural plans had not pro-
vided for drainage" he wrote, "conse-
quently. water that had been dripping
all night from the log ceiling. bringinS
| IL aT,A he
tiny streamlets that poured In at vari-
Gus points on the sides, provided US
with a duck pond, neither ornamental
nor desirable. and so deep II reached the
level of our hunks. The entire camp fur
niture was ahoat. A comrade noticed
me ruefully regarding our half-filled
haversacks bobbing around, held only by
the strap as to an anchorage, and shout
ed out:
Them bugs and worms in your hard
tack are in danger OF being drowned.
The situation was indeed dLscOurag-
ing. ! had to stay where l was and as
/ was, or take four or five long strides
} through the water to the nearest place
Of exit.
The latter alternative was chosen
When safe outside, l glanced around at
the other bomb-proofs and found We were
not especially dlsfayored, for in them
blankets. shoes, clothing. irewood, and
camp utensils were discovered sailing
around promiscuously. One man an
nounced that he had a fine mill priv
ilege in his to dispose Of Another good
naturedly compared his situation with
that Of Robinson Crusoe. They gener-
ally accepted the unexpected and un-
pleasant in camp most philosophically.
The long winter evenings were fire.
quently devoted to such games as were
adapted to the situation. Of course.
cards easily ranked first. Repeatedly
the players indufged in heated arSu-
ments. On one occasion the game was
suddenly terminated by the hurting Of
an old shoe at the candle, thus plung-
ing the place into midnight darkness
Equally effectual in restoring quietnesS
was throwing a cover over the top OF
the chimney, when the occupants were
compelled to rush from their quarters
to escape the suffocsting smoke
Not infrequently when some particu-
larly jolly company was assembled some
mischievous chap would play the same
trick, having first obstructed the exit
Then he would volunteer good advice to
the smothering prisoners.
Sometimes We were Weakened in the
morning by smoke as dense as IL the en-
tire establishment were on fire. II was
only an attempt to start the first blaze
of the day. The remonstrative demon
: strations OF the boys at this unseason-
able act were as varied and as univer-
Life Under Fire.
The proximity Of the Confederates led
the Federals in Fort He'll to take un-
usual precautions against surprise. Each
morning about O'Clock the garrison
| was aroused to take their places in the
, trenches, remaining in position until il
, was broad daylight. Then the men
turned in for little sleep.
: Besides these regular disturbances
, there were numerous heavy lombard
/ ments, during which the ground inside
the fort was plowed up by Confederate
, shot and shell On such occasions the
bomb-prOofs were favorite resorts.
One day a twelve-pounder shell was
sent toward the fort from the ConfeG-
crate Fort Malone, and before it passed.
out at the rear had created havoc in the
the fort. il ricocheted, cleared the sand
bags on the parapet and struck in the
roadbed within the fort and near one OF
the large bomb-proofs.
Here" wrote Hopkins. with terri
BILE thump il scooped out a lo-foOt
, trough in the hard clay, when. again
rising it struck the Cook-house Of Com
, pany G, in which CHANGED to be the cook,
Daddy Stone. and two other men en-
gagged in preparing supper. Entering
obliquely just below the top-log, Il
smashed two or three boxes of hardtack
up a number Of camp kettles and mess
, pans, making a fearful din, passed out
through the rear end. near the ridge
, pole. scaled the reverse parapet aid,
| finally. exploded over the swamp be-
yond. 1t left the shebang full Of rub
! bish and thick-settlinE dust
Each afternoon there was the "reEu-
lar bombardment. or. as the soldiers
called it. the quiet bombardment. This
/ being a fixture. the men paid little at
tention to 1t. save that when the first
shell came into the fort they sought
, shelter until the exchange of civilties
vas concluded.
The fort, being on the Jerusalem plank
road and easily accessible from Han
cock Station on the military railroad,
, was much visited by prominent military
| officers and the many civilians-Con-
. gressmen, governors, and the hke-whO
J were frequent guests at City Point. These
parties were met at the entrance and
conducted around the fort by one OF the
garrison
II the watchers on the Confederate
side caught sight OF visitors they al
most invariably sent q shell or two into
the works to give them a taste Of real
war. The effect Of these missiles was re-
markable and the sudden disappearance
of the visitors into bomb-proofs was the
signal for great outbUrsts Of laughter
from the COnfederates.
II the watchers on the Confederate side
. caught sight of visitors, they almost in
variably sent a shell or two into the
works IN give them n taste of real war,