Karl Bacon by An Eye for Glory: The Civil War Chronicles of a Citizen Soldier
Book: Karl Bacon by An Eye for Glory: The Civil War Chronicles of a Citizen Soldier
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slowly.
“How about you, Jim?”
“I’m all for it,” Jim replied, “and besides, if each man has his own bunk, I figure each man will keep his cooties to himself.”
We all heaved with laugher, even Harry, whose face finally brightened enough to reveal the narrow but noticeable space between his two front upper teeth. But his laughter ended in another fit of coughing.
“How do we start?” Jim asked.
“We start by digging,” John said. “A lot of digging.”
Our four shelter tent halves would form the roof of our hut. We laid out the shelter tents and drove sticks into the ground to mark the corners. Our hut would be about eight feet wide by ten feet long with an inside area of about six feet by eight feet,perhaps a little more depending upon the diameter of the logs we used.
It was dirty, nasty, toilsome work that occupied all of the hours we were not required to drill or do picket duty. Jim managed to borrow a spade from another regiment near our camp, so one man dug with the spade while another dug at the earth with his bayonet and another used the cooking pot for scooping. Harry tried to lend a hand when he could, but mostly he was just too weak for the heavy labor. By Wednesday afternoon the digging was done, and we were looking forward to getting out of the mud and into the construction of our hut.
However, that construction would have to wait. There was a war to fight.
CHAPTER 12
A Carol for Caroline Street
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will toward men!
LUKE 2:14
T HIS IS MADNESS !” J IM ADAMS PACED WHILE MOST OF THE MEN sat quietly awaiting orders, trying to enjoy what was left of the late-afternoon sunshine. “Sheer madness. It’s useless and everyone knows it.”
The river crossing into the city of Fredericksburg on the morning of Friday, December 12 th , had been, for us, without opposition or injury. That price had been paid by others. We were ordered to occupy a street that ran along the bank of the river in plain view of the pontoon bridge that had granted us safe and dry access to the city. Throughout the day the leather-soled feet of columns of infantry, the shod hooves of horses and mules, and the iron-bound wheels of trains of wagons echoed hollowly as they tramped, clopped, and clanked across the wooden decking of the bridge into the city.
As if to punctuate Jim’s vehement words, a shell screamedoverhead and exploded in the river just a few yards from the bridge, showering man and beast alike with icy water. A team of dray horses near mid-span reared on their hind legs and bellowed wildly into the cold air. The driver fought for control as the team strained against the harnesses that bound them to the heavy wagon. The very thing the beasts wished to be free of was the only thing that kept them from dashing headlong into the depths of the river.
“Useless,” cried Jim to anyone who would pay him heed, “utterly useless. Burnside must be the only one that doesn’t see it.”
John beckoned to Jim. “Come have some coffee.”
Jim shook his head in disgust and spat in the street, then came slowly to the fire.
“Jim, it may indeed be madness, as you say,” said John, “but what can we do about it? We’re soldiers under orders. It’s our duty.”
Jim turned on John. “Duty? Duty to go blindly forward and be killed, just because some general who’s safely on the other side of the river says so? Every man in this army knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. All that time we were at Belle Plain, Old Bobby Lee was preparing a warm reception for us. It’s a trap, and we’re walking right into it. We have no chance for success.”
Harry shifted uncomfortably where he sat, but said nothing.
“I’ve heard that talk too,” I said. “They’re ready and waiting. Some even say the Rebs are begging us to march out and fight.” I hesitated for a moment, wanting to be sure that the words I was about to utter I truly believed. “When the order
“How about you, Jim?”
“I’m all for it,” Jim replied, “and besides, if each man has his own bunk, I figure each man will keep his cooties to himself.”
We all heaved with laugher, even Harry, whose face finally brightened enough to reveal the narrow but noticeable space between his two front upper teeth. But his laughter ended in another fit of coughing.
“How do we start?” Jim asked.
“We start by digging,” John said. “A lot of digging.”
Our four shelter tent halves would form the roof of our hut. We laid out the shelter tents and drove sticks into the ground to mark the corners. Our hut would be about eight feet wide by ten feet long with an inside area of about six feet by eight feet,perhaps a little more depending upon the diameter of the logs we used.
It was dirty, nasty, toilsome work that occupied all of the hours we were not required to drill or do picket duty. Jim managed to borrow a spade from another regiment near our camp, so one man dug with the spade while another dug at the earth with his bayonet and another used the cooking pot for scooping. Harry tried to lend a hand when he could, but mostly he was just too weak for the heavy labor. By Wednesday afternoon the digging was done, and we were looking forward to getting out of the mud and into the construction of our hut.
However, that construction would have to wait. There was a war to fight.
CHAPTER 12
A Carol for Caroline Street
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will toward men!
LUKE 2:14
T HIS IS MADNESS !” J IM ADAMS PACED WHILE MOST OF THE MEN sat quietly awaiting orders, trying to enjoy what was left of the late-afternoon sunshine. “Sheer madness. It’s useless and everyone knows it.”
The river crossing into the city of Fredericksburg on the morning of Friday, December 12 th , had been, for us, without opposition or injury. That price had been paid by others. We were ordered to occupy a street that ran along the bank of the river in plain view of the pontoon bridge that had granted us safe and dry access to the city. Throughout the day the leather-soled feet of columns of infantry, the shod hooves of horses and mules, and the iron-bound wheels of trains of wagons echoed hollowly as they tramped, clopped, and clanked across the wooden decking of the bridge into the city.
As if to punctuate Jim’s vehement words, a shell screamedoverhead and exploded in the river just a few yards from the bridge, showering man and beast alike with icy water. A team of dray horses near mid-span reared on their hind legs and bellowed wildly into the cold air. The driver fought for control as the team strained against the harnesses that bound them to the heavy wagon. The very thing the beasts wished to be free of was the only thing that kept them from dashing headlong into the depths of the river.
“Useless,” cried Jim to anyone who would pay him heed, “utterly useless. Burnside must be the only one that doesn’t see it.”
John beckoned to Jim. “Come have some coffee.”
Jim shook his head in disgust and spat in the street, then came slowly to the fire.
“Jim, it may indeed be madness, as you say,” said John, “but what can we do about it? We’re soldiers under orders. It’s our duty.”
Jim turned on John. “Duty? Duty to go blindly forward and be killed, just because some general who’s safely on the other side of the river says so? Every man in this army knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. All that time we were at Belle Plain, Old Bobby Lee was preparing a warm reception for us. It’s a trap, and we’re walking right into it. We have no chance for success.”
Harry shifted uncomfortably where he sat, but said nothing.
“I’ve heard that talk too,” I said. “They’re ready and waiting. Some even say the Rebs are begging us to march out and fight.” I hesitated for a moment, wanting to be sure that the words I was about to utter I truly believed. “When the order
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