s of wood on each side. At the end opposite the
entrance we built a fireplace and chimney. The fireplace was the most
difficult part, as it was impossible to get stone to build with. We were
thus obliged to use sticks of wood for binding material, covering them
with mud, otherwise we would have had conflagrations constantly. Indeed,
they did occasionally occur, the wood in the walls of the fireplace taking
fire. The two bunks were placed one on each side, raised a foot, or a foot
and a half from the ground. An open space was thus left from the fireplace
to the entrance. Our shelter tents were used for covering. Two pieces
answered for the roof and a piece for each end. The pieces of shelter
tents were square with button holes and buttons on every side, so they
could be buttoned together and make a quite satisfactory covering. A
little fire in the fireplace and the tent was very comfortable. To be sure
if the fire was allowed to get low or to go out the tent would cool off
very quickly. The cloth of those shelter tents was especially good in
regard to shedding water, considering how thin and light it was.

December 4. Chaplain Ball having resigned, to our great regret left us for
home. When I got up the next morning I found it was snowing and it was
very cold; wasn't I glad to have a good bunch of wood under my bunk to
enable me to have a good fire. There is a lot of talk about camp of a
battle and on the 9th, sixty rounds of cartridges were given each man,
which looks like business. There was a general inspection the 10th and it
was to be observed that troops were being moved about considerably. Very
early in the morning of the 11th two heavy guns were fired, and a little
later our artillery opened fire on the Confederate works, all along the
line on the other side of the river. About half past eight we fell into
line and marched down to a point near where the engineers were trying to
lay a pontoon bridge across the river opposite the upper part of the city.
The men were not able to get more than half way across the river on
account of the Johnnies' sharpshooters concealed in houses and other
places on the other side of the river, who shot down every man who
attempted to work on the bridge. Early in the afternoon General Burnside
rode down to the river where the men were trying to lay the pontoon
bridge. He immediately solved the problem. He suggested that a charge be
made across the river by men in pontoon boats, and tha