of that hole a wall four feet high. Half of the
fourth side was taken up by the chimney, which was built of short logs
split in half and covered well inside with mud. With such suitable
stones as we could pick up, we lined the fire place immediately around
the fire, and as far above as we had rocks to do it with. The other half
of the fourth side was left for the door, over which was hung any old
blanket or other cloth that we could beg, borrow or steal.

The log walls done, we dug a deep hole, loosened up the clay at the
bottom, poured in water and mixed up a lot of mud with which we chinked
up the interstices between the logs and covered the wood in the chimney.
The earth that had been thrown up in digging the hole, we now banked up
against the log wall all around, which made it wind proof; and then over
this gem of architecture we stretched our fly. We had no closed
tents--only a fly, a straight piece of tent cloth all open at the sides.
Our fly, supported by a rude pole, and drawn down and firmly fastened to
the top of the log wall, made the roof of the house.

="Housewarming" on Parched Corn, Persimmons and Water=

Then we went out and cut small poles and made a bunk, to lift us off the
ground. Over the expanse of springy poles we spread sprigs of cedar--and
this made a pretty good spring mattress. Last of all, we dug a ditch all
around our house to keep the water from draining down into our room and
driving us out. Then we went in, built a fire in our fireplace, called
in our friends, and had a house-warming. The refreshments were parched
corn, persimmons (which two of us walked two miles to get) and water.
Of the latter, we had plenty in canteens borrowed from the boys. We had
a bully time, and we kept it up late. Then we went to bed in our cosy
bunk and slept like graven images till reveille next morning. Thus we
were housed for the winter--"under our own vine and fig tree," so to
speak.

Most of the other houses were built after the same general style. We
bragged that we had the best house in camp, and were very chesty about
it. Others did likewise.

The men's quarters ready, we at once set to work on stables for the
horses, of which there were about seventy, belonging to the Battery. All
hands were called in to do this work. We scattered through the woods,
cut logs and carried them on our shoulders to the spot selected. We
built up walls around three sides, leaving the fourth or sunny side
open. Then we