South-Enders, when they discovered that the
North-Enders had thrown up a fort on the crown of Slatter's Hill.

Slatter's Hill, or No-man's-land, as it was generally called, was a
rise of ground covering, perhaps, an acre and a quarter, situated on
an imaginary line, marking the boundary between the two districts. An
immense stratum of granite, which here and there thrust out a wrinkled
boulder, prevented the site from being used for building purposes. The
street ran on either side of the hill, from one part of which a quantity
of rock had been removed to form the underpinning of the new jail.
This excavation made the approach from that point all but impossible,
especially when the ragged ledges were a-glitter with ice. You see what
a spot it was for a snow-fort.

One evening twenty or thirty of the North-Enders quietly took possession
of Slatter's Hill, and threw up a strong line of breastworks, something
after this shape:

(Ft Slatter graphic)

The rear of the entrenchment, being protected by the quarry, was left
open. The walls were four feet high, and twenty-two inches thick,
strengthened at the angles by stakes driven firmly into the ground.

Fancy the rage of the South-Enders the next day, when they spied our
snowy citadel, with Jack Harris's red silk pocket handkerchief floating
defiantly from the flag-staff.

In less than an hour it was known all over town, in military circles at
least, that the "Puddle-dockers" and the "River-rats" (these were the
derisive sub-titles bestowed on our South-End foes) intended to attack
the fort that Saturday afternoon.

At two o'clock all the fighting boys of the Temple Grammar School,
and as many recruits as we could muster, lay behind the walls of Fort
Slatter, with three hundred compact snowballs piled up in pyramids,
awaiting the approach of the enemy. The enemy was not slow in making his
approach--fifty strong, headed by one Mat Ames. Our forces were under the
command of General J. Harris.

Before the action commenced, a meeting was arranged between the rival
commanders, who drew up and signed certain rules and regulations
respecting the conduct of the battle. As it was impossible for the
North-Enders to occupy the fort permanently, it was stipulated that the
South-Enders should assault it only on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons
between the hours of two and six. For them to take possession of the
place at any other time was not to constitute a capture, but on the