Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/15

Rh and Petersburg Turnpike, General Lee came along and looked with interest at our doings, after acknowledging my salute. I

I was provided with a special headquarter's order, which permitted me to go in and about the army at all times, and call on all officers, etc., to give me any aid required.

When the guns were gotten into the batteries I called on Commodore Mitchell, commanding the gunboats on the James River, presented the order, and asked for sailors and tackle to help in mounting them, and they were promptly furnished. The jackies sustained the reputation of the service as "hardy men." Three companies of the Engineer Regiment were also sent to help in the work.

The enemy soon found out what we were about and shelled us vigorously, so that we had to abandon our work in the daytime and do it only at night. With insufficient light our work was rendered more difficult, and several times when a gun was nearly in place a slip would come and down it would go, and we had it all to do over again.

The cheerfulness and vigor with which the sailors and engineer soldiers worked all night excited my admiration and I wanted to give them a treat, so I went up to Drewry's Bluff, about two miles above, and asked for some whiskey. General Lee's name on my order was, of course, potent, and I was given a big demijohn. I carried this down and asked an officer for a reliable man to take care of it. He said that he would give me the best he could, but even doubted anyone under the circumstances, so a sergeant was called up and the demijohn committed to him. When we knocked off work at daylight I called for the sergeant and found him happily drunk. Fortunately, there was enough left for a drink around, but thereafter I took charge of the demijohn myself, and wherever I went in directing the work I carried the demijohn and sat on it.

The earth-work was being done at the same time, with a different force and superintendence, as it was a hurry job. It took us about thirty days, and for the most part of that time I never slept at night, but went back at daylight to my tent, which my messmates had moved nearer to the works.