Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-02-21
Interesting Accounts Taken
From Diary of the Late
C.. M. Si0yton
Camp stoneman Wash, D. c.,

wind was high ana Whlstled In all
around our tent. This forenoon /
cooked some beans and worked little
on a mess box, although it was very
cold. In the afternoon | finished the
mess box, and received $500 for it.
Very cold at shutdown and the wind
went down also, and it was quite
warm. Went to. an eating house to
get some buckwheat pancakes for
cd so full that we were unable to get
n chance to get anything to eat.
4 Saturday, February IL, 1865.
1t was not so cold last night and
we slept well. In the forenoon /
fixed a chair for the adjutant general.
Went over the company and received
four months pay-$80.00. In the af-
ternoon | wrote a letter. Quite a
pleasant day; thawed some.
Sunday, February IL, 1865.
This morning it looked as though
we going to have pleasant day.
After breakfast / went down to the
suffers store to get bill broke, and
soon after getting back to camp it
commenced showing hard, then the
wind raised and it was very dis
agreeable day. Read, ETC., today.
Monday, February 10, 1865.
There is no prospect of us moving,
and as it was too cold to work, l got
a pass for three of us and went down
town again. The first place we visit
ed was the navy yard. The main
thing that attracted our attention
upon entering, were two long brass
guns that were captured in the war
with Tripoli by Stephen Decatur; then
came lot Of iron, brass and steel
guns that had been captured from
different nations-English, French,
Mexican and from various places in
the southern confederacy-some from
Atlanta, some from the ironclad
Merrimac, and different forts. We
saw two long, large splendidly carved
pieces which were included in the
Louisiana purchase of 1904. There
were big guns, little guns, long and
short guns, brass and iron guns, riff
ed and smooth bore guns; guns for
ships and for land service, new and
old guns, wholeand bursted guns,
guns from foot long to fifteen feet
long, with bores of from two inches
to fifteen inches, carrying balls
weighing from three pounds to four
hundred pounds. We saw one cannon
ball twenty inches in diameter that
weighed 1046 pounds, and long
shot for a PARROT gun that was
twelve inches in diameter. There were
many iron-plated targets that had
been shot at and hit, bruising them
UP badly. There were several large
guns that had bursted after firing
them from fifty to one hundred times.
There were a great many mortars
which were as thick as they were
long; also great piles of shells and
cannon balls laid up in tiers. We
saw some monstrous anchors and
chains to match. We went through
one shop where they were turning
brass guns, but did not have time to
visit the other shops. 1t was after
twelve o'clock before we left to yard.
We hurried up town going by the
government gardens, where [ persuad-
ed the boys to stop and see the green
house plants. At the first entrance
we saw a sign requesting the visitors
not to touch the plants within. The
keeper was in charge and welcomed
us in. We found the place crammed
full of exotic plants, all fresh and
green, some of which were in bios
som. Many of the plants were fif-
teen feet in height and had leaves a
foot wide and four feet long. Some
were small and fragile; some were
curious trailing or climbing vines
while others were leafess. There was
the tea and coffee plant, date palm,
breadfruit, banana, and numerous 9TH
plants but the most curious ones
belonged to the cactus family. Some
of them were round like ball, some
cylindrical, tall and thin, short and
clumped; some were fiat with pads
reaching up five or six feet, some
were square, and others triangular;
all were leafess and covered with
thorns and spikes. The plants here
came from all parts of the world
Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia,
America, and the islands Of various
oceans. The greenhouse was warmed
by hot pipes passing around through
it. There were many small glass
houses that we could not get into,
but could look in and see the plants,
which were mostly small ones, some
of them being in bloom. There were
great many little pots with plants
in them, which were started inside
the greenhouse and were transplant
ed out of doors in summer. The
gardens outside were covered by snow
and ice so that we were not able to
discern the plan of the gardens and
plant beds.
After leaving the garden we went
up Pennsylvania avenue to the pat
. ent office, stopping to get a lunch on
the way. did not look around much
there this time as had seen it be-
fore, but went out and bought a hat
for 1926 and $3.50 worth of tobac-
co to speculate on. then went up
to the capitol, going first to the SEN
ate chamber, where after about fif-
ten minutes of debating and voting,
Z they went into executive session and
ordered the galleries cleared. then
q went to the branch, but after few
minutes business, they too adjourned,
1t was now after four o'clock, so at
ter looking around a little more,
started for camp, where / arrived
about seven o'clock, very tired.
Tuesday, February ID, 1866.
The prospects are for fair day
but it is rather cold this morning
After breakfast went to work on a
mess box for Captain Clemens. Cook
ed some beans in the forenoon and in
the afternoon busted myself at vari.