Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/345

 Fortification and Siege of Port Hudson. 339

shaft, Captain Girard was obliged to work with great caution and silence, and the enemy kept quietly on. Getting immediately under- neath their ditch our gallery was extended a short distance.

Shortly after midnight of the 3d of July, our train was fired, and a tremendous explosion lollowed, apparently, however, without loss of life.

At the same time the approaches to Fort Desperate were checked by the fire of the Arkansas marksmen there, who, perched up in their sharpshooting tower, could fire down into every part of the enemy's ditch.

EATING MULE-MEAT.

The last quarter ration of beef had been given out to the troops on the 29th of June.

On the ist of July, at the request of many officers, a wounded mule was killed and cut up for experimental eating.

The flesh of mules is of a darker color than beef, of a finer grain, quite tender and juicy, and has a flavor something between that of beef and venison.

Some horses were slaughtered, and their flesh was found to be very good eating, but not equal to mule. Rats, of which there were plenty about the deserted camps, were also caught by many officers and men, and were found to be quite a luxury.

Mule meat was regularly served out in rations to the troops from and after the 4th of July.

The stock of corn was getting very low, and besides that nothing was left but peas, sugar, molasses and salt.

That a large quantity of peas was left on hand was probably ac- counted for by the fact that most of the troops would not have them on any consideration.

The sugar and molasses were put to good use by the troops in making a weak description of beer, which was constantly kept at the lines by the barrel full, and drank by the soldiers in preference to the miserable water with which they were generally supplied.

On the ist of July, some of the splendid Parrott guns of the Indi- ana regiment were taken across the river and put in battery there. They now maintained a constant fire upon our batteries every day, to which we occasionally replied, and at times with effect. They dis- mounted altogether three of our guns, splitting a rifled 32-pounder on the 5th of July; knocking off" the trunnion of an 8-inch howitzer