Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 5.djvu/170

 146 THE GRANITE MONTHLY.

��A NIGHT IN THE EIGHTEENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE

VOLUNTEERS.

��BY FRANK P. HARRIMAN.

THE latter part of March, 1865, and just before the close of the rebellion, the rebels came over under the cover of night and captured Fort Stead- man, situated in front of Petersburgh, Va., on the banks of the Appomatox river. They used the guns of our forts against us, but for a short time, as our great commander, Gen. Grant, who seemed never to slumber in the hour of danger, quickly rallied his forces and hurled them against the enemy with such power as shortly to drive them back with great loss, and the wavy folds of the stars and stripes were soon seen floating where the stars and bars had hung in apparent triumph but a few moments before. This done the i8th N. H. Vols, were ordered into the fort. The regiment extended down to the right of the fort, and was protected by a breastwork of logs and earth. The rebel lines were so near, and such a vigilant watch was kept up, that a raised hand, or the crown of a hat, if seen above the breastworks, was sure to receive a bullet from a rebel rifle. On arriving at our new station, First Lieut. D. C. Harriman, in command of Company E, Lieut. G. S. Whitney, T. J. Smith, our cook (we called him "Jeff "), and the writer of this article took possession of an underground house, which had been built by erecting logs for the sides and overhead, leaving an opening for a door in front. Green hides had been spread above to make a show of keeping out the rain, and over, around and above all had been piled the red Virginia soil. Jeff said it was the first house he ever lived in that was shingled with calfskin. When it rained, — and it did rain, — down came not only water but mud also. For a door we hung up a blanket, found on the spot, heavy with the fresh blood of a Sergeant, who but a few moments before had become a victim of an ever watchful rebel.

Our bed was a blanket on the ground. The top of the door could be seen by the rebs just above our breastworks, and many a well aimed ball found its way into that opening and lodged in the timbers behind. Day by day we went about half bent, and being over six feet tall, some of us. one can imagine how our backs ached, but of the two, backache is preferable to bullets, at least that is the way most of us decided at that time. Those were days that not only tried men's souls but their muscles as well.

Our faithful Capt. Gile had been absent on a furlough, and on the 24th of March, reiurned to find us in this uninviting and uncomfortable place. He seemed to rejoice however at the situation. This was just the spot he had been longing for, where he could throw a stone into the rebel lines. We told him we should probably be attacked that night, but he laughed at the idea, and thought us timid.

We shall soon see however that our suspicions were founded upon some- thing more than imagination. We returned to our soft couch at ten, removing only our boots. The Captain divested himself as he would at a hotel, though we warned him that he had better be prepared for an emergency. With a blanket below and a blanket above, five in a bed, we commenced the night. Some eyes soon closed, others did not. A short time only had passed before that awful rebel yell was heard breaking the stillness of the night. None but those

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