reach their homes in safety; or in lieu thereof, to send them North, if they so chose.

We fixed these circulars in the day-time close up to the line that the rebel vedettes occupied during the night. Thus, when they came out to their vedette posts they found them, and on their return to camp passed them around among their comrades. These three Johnnies told us that partly by means of these circulars they were induced to desert; and we doubt not that many of such cases happened during the winter of 1864.

However novel the manner of " whistling them into the Union" as we had done, this time we were glad to get them here, and in a few minutes haversacks were opened, fires started up, each man of the detail chipped in his share of rations, and we soon provided a good hot supper for them, the like of which one of them said he had not seen "for mo'n a y'ar." They thanked us from the bottom of their hearts, and emptying their pockets and traps of all the tobacco they could find, made us accept it, as all they could give us in return for our kindness.

It was now drawing near day-break, and it would not do to keep them here till day-light, when they would be sure to be seen by the rebel pickets and fired upon, so the lieutenant detailed me to take them back to headquarters, where I left them with a cordial shake and good-bye, and returned to my post. I never saw nor heard of them again.

November 8th being election day all over the country for President and Vice-President of these United States, was a day of rest for us, nothing but guard and police duties being performed. It had been previously arranged by the authorities, in order to get the votes of the men in the field, that the legal voters of each state now in the army, and who were duly registered as such at home, should deposit

their votes with their respective adjutants in camp, he to forward them to their native state, to be counted in with the rest.

The opposing candidates were the present incumbent, Abraham Lincoln, and our old general, George B. McClellan, and the army gave its support to old "Father Abraham."

On this day, we of the Fourth Regiment were happily surprised by the appearance among us of our old adjutant, Henry J. Spooner, who had been appointed adjutant of our consolidated regiments, the Fourth and Seventh Rhode Island.

On the 15th we received orders to prepare winter quarters, and went to work cutting logs and building them up four feet high, setting our tent on top, and making bunks inside. An addition of a chimney of sticks and mud, with a barrel on top, provided facilities for keeping ourselves comfortable during the ensuing winter months.

The 24th brought around Thanksgiving Day and was duly observed by us at the front in various manners, to the exclusion of drill and all unnecessary duties. A large lot of cooked turkeys, chickens, and other "fixin's," arrived for our benefit from Rhode Island, and each mess was apportioned its share.

The writer's mess consisted of Comrades Bennett, Myers, and myself, and as our share we received half a turkey, and a good sized chicken. Comrade Bennett bought a few vegetables of a sutler near by, and I scouted around until I saw a stray bake-kettle, which I borrowed," (for a soldier never steals,) and thus we managed to cook the turkey, etc., over again, and enjoyed a first-rate Thanksgiving dinner for the first time in four long years. The next day, another lot of chickens, roast beef, etc., arrived for us, and was duly devoured with hearty satisfaction and a healthy

soldier's appetite. This lot also came from Rhode Island, and could our kind-hearted people at home have seen the manner in which we appreciated this feast, they would have felt well repaid for their kindness to the poor, hard living soldier.

On the 29th we received marching orders. A division of the Second Corps relieved us, and took possession of our nice winter quarters, and our whole division was soon on the road toward the Jerusalem Plank Road, reaching which, we halted till dark. After nightfall we moved up to the front line of works and into Fort Sedgwick.

The Seventh Rhode Island took up quarters in the centre of the fort and found good strong bomb-proofs awaiting them. The Forty-fifth Pennsylvania at their right also occupied bomb-proofs, while our little battalion of three companies of the Fourth Rhode Island were assigned to the left, where there were no bomb-proofs, and pitched our tents in the open space of the fort, with no protection from the enemy's fire but the breast-works or parapet.

21

December, 1864.

CHAPTER XXIII.

FORT HELL."

ORT Sedgwick, better known among the troops as "Fort Hell," was formerly a portion of the rebel works, being captured by our troops during this seige, and was situated on the Jerusalem Plank Road, about in the centre of our line of works, and two miles in a straight line from the city of Petersburg. Our front line extended out along here, at somewhat of an angle with the main line, Fort Hell occupying the extreme left of this extension, and was consequently nearest the rebel works, being only about three hundred yards from the rebel Fort Mahone. Directly in front of the right flank of Fort Hell the picket lines of both armies approached each other to within a distance of fifty yards, and then bore away to the right, left, and rear. At this point no firing between the pickets was allowed night or day.

The left of Fort Hell, where our little battalion was encamped, was without armament, though pierced with embrasures for six or eight guns, these embrasures now being filled with bags of earth, and so could quickly be made available for working a full battery of artillery in case of need.

In the centre and on the right, four pieces of artillery

were stationed, besides a battery of six eight-inch mortars. Two large magazines were located in the fort, and all appliances for a full complement of guns, should they be needed. A large and deep ditch surrounded the fort, protected in front by a heavy cheval-de-frise, and a line of "trip wires," and in rear by a gate and bridge, leading into the inclosure. Various traverses, flankers, etc., provided a covered way to the rear or main line, thus enabling reënforcements to reach us safely, though under heavy fire.

Directly in rear and about nine hundred yards distant, stood Fort Davis, another work of large proportions and great strength, on the main line, forming one of the links of the great chain that General Grant was slowly, but surely, twining around the rebel stronghold.

In the rebel line and opposite Fort Hell, stood Fort Mahone, better known as "Fort Damnation." It was pierced with embrasures, and was provided with facilities for working fourteen guns. On its left and connected with it, was a battery of thirteen, eight, and ten-inch mortars. On the left of this mortar battery was another strong earth-work, mounting eight guns, and in rear of these works a series of forts and batteries extended back to their main line, each one opening fire directly into the one in its front. It will readily be seen of what enormous strength these rebel works were, and what a struggle we might expect if we ever attempted to assault them. In front they were protected first by a line of whirling, sharpened stakes, that it was deemed impossible to get over, under, or around; then a line of torpedoes planted in the ground, and marked by little white flags to keep their own men from stepping on, and exploding them. In case of an attack their retreating pickets were supposed to pull up these markers and leave the ground unmarked, for our troops to pass over and get blown up. Next beyond these was a line of trip wires,