Year: 1875




in my life before.


Near the other redoubt the guns roar
ed like thunder, and there seemed one
continual blaze of fire. But it did not
last long, for the redonbt was soon taken
by that company, which consisted of
French grenadiers.


The redoubts were about fifty rods
apart We took about 1000 men and
lost but 20 or so of our own.


AS soon as the work was done, there
came up two wagons loaded with spades,
shovels and one or two hogsheads of New
England rum. The head of the hogs
head was knocked in and every man had
leave to drink as much as he pleased,
but if any man got drunk he was to take
fifty lashes without the privilege of a
court martial.


When we had drank what we needed
we we're ordered to take shovel or spade
to every two men; one was to use the
shovel, the other to hold the two guns
We were ordered to work with all speed
to secure ourselves, or stand still and be
shot at We were willing to work, for
we were not more than fifty rods from
the enemy's whole army, and their guns
were firing all the time.


In this situation we worked all night,
and when daylight appeared we did the
best we could to keep under the bank
we had thrown up in the night.


When it was light the enemy did moi
kill as many as they did in the night
for we kept so close that they could not
hit us. We worked till nine o'clock al
night before we could be relieved, and
had nothing to eat or drink, and we had
to remain till our entrenchments were sc
deep and wide that we were in no danger
of the enemy's guns. We were between
two fires all the time, for our artillery
was playing over our heads at the enc
my, and the enemy at our men.


AT nine o'clock we were relieved, and
all went to our quarters to get something
to eat. We were hungry pack of fel
lows, and some Of us very faint and
weak.


We cooked and ate as fast as we could
for we had to cook enough to last u:
twenty-four hours, as we had to stay il
the trenches half of the time, and keeI
it strongly fortified, lest the enemy sally
out and take them from us.


While | was cooking the next night,
saw several shells in the air, some going
up, others coming down, and they had {
stream of fire behind and looked likt
blazing stars. They went in a circle OIL
bow, and as it was very dark | had {
good view of them. | saw seven at ont
time.


One morning as l was in the entrench
ment little after sunrise, j saw drum
mer and fifer come over the enemy
breastwork, and as soon as they had go
over they hoisted a flag, and beat thu
drum and advanced towards us. Wher
they came to our batteries one of oul
officers went to meet them, and took from
them bundle of papers for Gen. Wash
ington, and then called for file of mel
to guard them. They were marched in
to the batteries and ordered to sit down


They remained two or three hours
when the officer returned with bundle
of papers for CORVALLIS, and they were
sent back to their army again. Thes'
papers, however, did not stop us from
firing, for we kept at it all day.


The next day the drummer and fife
came again and was received as before
Another bundle of papers was delivered
to Gen. Washington, and an answer sem
back.


In an hour or two the enemy ceased
firing, and soon our army were ordered
to do the same.


A little while afterwards two negroes
came near where | was standing, and
one said, "Wot you stop shooting for?


Some one answered, We have taker
Corvallis"


The second negro not hearing the re
ply, asked his brother blackey, "Wot
they say 2" The other replied =


Whe, dey say dey take CORVALLIS. ;


"No, you DUN fool, no CORVALLIS, fol
Washington has picked all de corn of
de cob"


During the seige we threw large bal
or shell, which fell on one of their ships
in such a way that it went through it
and the vessel sunk soon afterwards.


We also threw shell into CORVALLIS
bomb proof and blew up his magazine
and this made him cry for quarter.


We waited two or three days to SEE
the great lord and his army march out
and surrender to Washington.


We talked and laughed among our.
selves, thinking how he would look and
feel when he would deliver up his arms
and even his sword that he had fourished