s under
the influence of whisky at this time. I was with the brigade tent and
baggage, and knew nothing of this until I visited the company the next
evening. Neither do I remember who was in command of the regiment on
this occasion. I think the colonel, lieutenant-colonel, and major were
all absent, wounded. After we had been here a few days, arrangements
were made to desist from picket firing; and after this we were no longer
subjected to the peril resulting from this useless and barbarous
practice. The loss of men from this cause was said to be about eighty a
day in Grant's army, and was probably not less on the other side. Where
the lines were so close, it was probably necessary and justifiable.

I remained at brigade headquarters until some time after July 4th, and
was then relieved and returned to the regiment. It was then posted on
the left of the Jerusalem road. Our camp was on sloping ground, the
rifle pit at the foot of the slope. A few rods in front rose a slight
ridge, and beyond this, a narrow fringe of timber shut out the rebel
works from direct view. In this timber, or just beyond it, were our
pickets. The well from which we obtained our supply of water was between
our rifle-pits and the ridge spoken of. Further to the left, our line
extended into woods, where the timber had been "slashed" in front for
several hundred yards.

Back of where Company C's camp was, on the left side of the road as you
faced the works, we soon after began the construction of a fort, called
Fort Warren. It was four hundred feet square, strongly and carefully
constructed. When finished, the ditch must have been twelve feet deep.
The rebels did not get the range of our position at first, but annoyed
us a good deal at times by pitching shells around at a venture. In a few
days they would strike the vicinity of the fort with considerable
accuracy, and kept at it with a persistence which showed that they were
certain of the locality. After the work had progressed some time we felt
no concern about the shelling. If it became too lively, we would
stretch ourselves in the bottom of the ditch, and wait for the thing to
let up, with great resignation, as we preferred this to working.

The confederate gunners had a way of sending shells "hopping" across,
which was rather uncomfortable. One evening they were entertaining us in
this fashion. The little ridge in front of our pits generally prevented
shells from striking them, though the camp