Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-08-01

der. All papers Of record were to be
forwarded to Washington. A man
from the Sind Pennsylvania regiment
had also been detailed here as car
penter and reported soon after / did.
We have good shop to work in, con-
tanning four benches and plenty of
wagon lumber. We drew rations and
stayed here all night, sleeping on the
work benches. The weather was very
warm to-day.
Wednesday, May II, 1865.
We concluded not to hurt ourselves
working so did not hurry to-day. We
were set to work making pick handles
and cut out and finished dozen. The
rest of the time we sat around and
read. Received "a letter from home.
Thursday, May 18, 1866.
To-day we had door to make to a
desk for Captain Burke, and as we
could not find good board for a
whole door, we made a papeled one,
which occupied us until afternoon.
After finishing it we walked around
town, going to the courthouse, where
they were having mass meeting to
appoint delegates to the state conven-
ton for the re-organizing of the state
government. After the meeting we
went down to the railroad track to
see where the depots, warehouses, a
large foundry and machine shop had
been ,bu<ned by Stoneman. The
ground was covered with shot and
she'll, musket barrels, and iron work
of all kinds. We then came back
through the cemetery, where we saw
gravestone marking the resting
place of a man who had died in 1775.
Then we came back to our shop and
ate supper. 1t rained toward night.
Friday, May 10, 1865.
There were no jobs to be done this
morning so went over to the regiment
to see if there was any mail for me,
and to get my coffee pot, etc. After
/ got back l went to the depot to get
some rebel grain sacks with which to
make me a pair of overalls. In the
afternoon a made up set of cross
legs for a desk. 1t rained again to-
day.
Saturday, May 20, 1865.
Made a thill for light wagon for
a citizen to-day, who promised me
fifty cents for it. | also got some
lumber and made a batten door for
another man.
Sunday, May 81, 1865.
Yesterday we got pass for four of
US to go out into the country to-day
to see a gold mine. We started off
about half past eight. The mine we
visited was about five niles south Of
town. We had a very pleasant, but
warm ride, arriving at the mine about
eleven o'clock. The mine was owned
by Baltimore company and had been
worked by them until the war started,
but it had never paid them big divid-
ends. The man in charge of it took
us down to the mill where the rock
was ground and showed US the whole
process. The gold was found in a
vein of quartz rock which stands per-
pendicular and is from two to six feet
in thickness. The main shaft was
sunk about 100 feet deep, but was
now filled with water, and the curbing
badly damaged. The rock was drawn
out, then crushed to powder under
large, heavy stones, like millstones.
1t is then washed in various troughs
and rockers, and the gold dust is col
lected by means of quicksilver. They
had large steam engine for running
the mill. The man told us that the
rock turned out on the average of 80
cents to one dollar per bushel of rock.
dita tIldt Will tWO cttS VI SIOlCS tuCy
ground from fifty to seventy-five
bushels per day. He asked us to stay
to dinner, which we did, and had an
excellent one, consisting of straw
berry pudding, etc. He then gave us
some specimens of copper ore, and we
started back to camp very well pleas
ed with the day, and arrived there
about four p. m. 1t rained hard this
evening.
Monday, May %, 1865.
The first work for to-day was to
nail some boxes of captured property
to gether in readiness for sending
the north. We helped to load them,
then mended table for the post COM
missary, which occupied US until
about three p. m. / wrote a letter
home and also received one from
there. ,
~. Tuesday, May %, 1865.
The first work this morning was
to open and renal some boxes. We
then made another batten door for a
citizen, receiving three dollars for the
two. | then made me cot to sleep
on, using some old sacking to cover
it with. Helped issue and load up
clothing for the brigades. Went over
to the regiment in the evening. They
had just received marching orders.
Wednesday, May "a, 1865.
We obtained a pass and four of us
from headquarters and a citizen
went out about five miles south for
a fishing trip. We used seine and
were disappointed in not being able to
get a large one, so had to take one
not over twelve feet long. We arriv-
ed at the creek, but found it muddy
and filled with other debris, but we