868 Norra Carona Troops, 1861-65.

cessful, though unexpected, night charge of the 17th instant,
which restored the broken line, and further checked the en-
emy’s advance, that he has had other troops to straggle to
the rear, but Ransom’s are the first to straggle to the front.
But of more serious import is his declaration, as repeated
to us: “TI now have General Grant just where I want him.”
His whole demeanor shows that he is perfectly sincere in this,
and the army is inspired by the same buoyant hope. He
has seen many of his bravest and best men go down in the last
sixty days, but it is well known that the enemy taking the
initiative against him in this campaign, have suffered fright-
fully, and it is thought no exaggeration to estimate the total
loss on that side so far as equal to Lee’s total effective opposed
to him through the long series of bloody engagements from

the Wilderness to Petersburg. (Statistics have since fully
confirmed this. )

PROGRESS OF THE SIEGE.

Lee’s line protecting Richmond and Petersburg, facing
north, east, south and then east again, now extends consider-
ably over thirty miles. He still has the railways to Weldon,
and to Danville intact for supplies, and Virginia and North
Carolina have united and completed a connection between
Danville and Greensboro, the people of Mecklenburg, North
Carolina, contributing the rails of the line but recently laid
between Charlotte and Davidson College.

Our first duty now is to make our ditches, that we will in
all probability, oceupy for some time while awaiting develop-
ments, as strong and comfortable as we can. Brush is
brought in from the rear to construct booths for shade, and
blanket houses are set up and staked by a simple device with
horizontal poles on forked posts; the inner facing 3f the
breastworks is strengthened with revetments of timber; the
streets and sinks kept thoroughly policed; and safe covered-
ways constructed at convenient intervals to avoid the losses
incident to a beleaguered line of battle and its communica-
tions. We are now becoming familiar with a new engine of
destruction, the mortar gun. The name is derived from its

Frety-SixtH REGIMENT. 369

resemblance to the domestic utensil. It is remarkable with
what accuracy a shell thrown out at an elevation of from 45 5
75 degrees may be made to come down on a given oes i
cannon ball passes so swiftly that it leaves the w ie =
sound through the air to follow it; but the mortar shell s on y
revolving in its descent overhead, aided by the ests 7 a
fuse, heard first on one side, then on the other, leav : its _ if
ence in a state of uncertainty, not to say anxiety, as to . mi
seat the stranger intends to take. To the oe — <4
to a young Captain by one of his company, ie t homie
those mortar shells more than anything else?” the reply w o
made: “No; they are the first things Bea he yet eae
that a man ought not to be afraid of. : How tha ah
“Why, the omniverous beast is a ventriloquist ; Ag sagan
dodge it; and it is a poor philosophy that fears what 1
ee Or :
Deca the losses on both sides are considerable from leap
annoyance. Then bomb proofs are constructed by oe
perpendicular excavations immediately ye vraae ASyecte
along covered ways leading to them or ec ; “ancl ae
square or oblong recesses are laid stout logs; t ze = peeks
leaves; and on that a mound of earth. Gradually tah
apartments were thus supplied along our — one 2 a
as at any point along this line, battle might be de #3 fe be
any time, night or day. The men thus oo. te :
jocosely to treat mortar-shelling as an entertainmen 5 a is
was not out of order for veterans to run to cover when the

play began. As the siege progressed, unexploded shells and

bead ba y 1 1ce d I rt ont and
re there i ordnance epa tmen 5 @

fra nents we at. d b ou
ht them in from the

payment made to the soldiers who broug Fe
field. A whole shell was a prize, and races were os By
some instances for them while yet in pes ete dupe sue : exc .
mations as: “That’s mine, I saw it first; and, sae he ot
out of its range; it is coming my way.” It might sg ae
mid-air, or after striking the ground; but that w ae : <
rather as a matter of disgust than of fear. Mortar A ons
proper calibre were specially cast by the Confederates tc

turn some of these shells to the enemy.

24