nd
did so for several days. We were suffering for something to eat more
than anything else. Rations of corn were issued, and this was parched
and eaten, or beaten up, when parched, and a decoction which the
soldiers called "coffee" was made and drunk.

The troops remained in camp until the last of October, then began
their march to rejoin Lee. The campaign of Early in the Valley had
been a failure, if measured by the fruits of victory. If, however, to
keep the enemy from occupying the Valley, or from coming down on the
north or rear of Richmond was the object, then it had accomplished
its purpose, but at a heavy loss and a fearful sacrifice of life.
We arrived at Richmond early in November, and began building winter
quarters about seven miles from the city, on the extreme left of the
army. Everything north of the James continued quiet along our lines
for a month or more, but we could hear the deep baying of cannon
continually, away to our right, in the direction of Petersburg.

When we had about finished our huts we were moved out of them and
further to the right, in quarters that Hoke's Division had built.
These were the most comfortable quarters we occupied during the war.
They consisted of log huts twelve by fourteen, thoroughly chinked with
mud and straw, some covered with dirt, others with split boards. We
had splendid breastworks in front of us, built up with logs on the
inside and a bank of earth from six to eight feet in depth on the
outside, a ditch of three or four feet beyond and an escarpment
inside. At salients along the line forts for the artillery were built,
but not now manned, and in front of our lines and around our forts
mines or torpedoes were sunk, which would explode by tramping on the
earth above them.

At these mines were little sticks about three feet long stuck in the
ground with a piece of blue flannel tied to the end to attract the
attention of our pickets going out. But hundreds of white sticks,
exactly like those above the mines, were stuck into the earth every
three feet for a distance of forty feet all around, but these were
marked red instead of blue. This was so that the enemy, in case of a
charge, or spies coming in at night, could not distinguish harmless
stakes from those of the torpedo. We picketed in front and had to pass
through where these stakes were posted single file, along little paths
winding in and out among them. The men were led out and in by guides
and cautioned agai