it was called,
was a large hall, that had been built for the display of goods during the
fair, which had heretofore been held on these grounds, and was the only
building in the stockade that was clapboarded and shingled, and with the
exception of an old tumble down affair on the opposite side, east, was the
only building in the enclosure when we took possession.

Having built myself a shelter on the first day I entered the stockade, I
was all right; but those who had burrowed for shelter were driven out like
rats from a flooded cellar, and were obliged to seek shelter in the large
hall from the pitiless storm. There was not room for all, and those who
could not crowd in there had to rough it out as best they could. On the
25th of May, I first met Adjutant H. H. Lyman, of the 147th New York, from
whom I learned that Col. Miller was wounded and a prisoner.

About this time, they brought us in lumber, pine poles and nails, to build
ourselves some sheds, and all went to work on the construction. I belonged
to No. 9 squad, and on the 27th of May, our lumber and other materials
were furnished, and we all went to work, and by night had our shed so
nearly completed that we moved in, though it took us several days to get
our bunks finished and everything comfortably arranged. It was amusing to
see a squad of ninety men go to work to erect one of these sheds.

Out of the ninety, about thirty would do the work, and the rest would
stand around and make suggestions. Among so many who should be equally
interested, it was astonishing how many bosses there would be, who could
tell how it ought to be done, but seemed indisposed to do it. Nothing was
done to suit these Superintendents, but when their grumblings became too
loud and boisterous, some one who was tugging away at the big end of one
of these fifty feet pine poles, would rest it on his knees long enough to
shout "Louder, old pudden head." This was a favorite epithet, used to
quiet any one in camp who got too excited or eloquent on any subject, and
I remember one Tennessee officer, Captain Hayes, who so objected to it
that he was ready to fight any one who called him "old pudden head"--and I
have seen him furiously searching for the man who had yelled this, while
he was loudly proclaiming his sentiments on some subject, but it only
caused him to be annoyed the more, for when it was seen how sensitive he
was on this point, there were plenty to be found to thus pester him, while