to place, the officers hurrying hither and thither with their commands. The pickets were ordered in. I found my regiment down on the right, near the river bridge. The regiment was immediately ordered to the left of the 1st Brigade, and near the picket post we had just vacated.

An incident occurred on our way which I think will bear notice. The enemy, perceiving our move, brought their batteries to bear upon us. A high board fence was to be crossed. As I took hold of the top board I was crowded back by a more anxious comrade. As he swung himself over the fence his knapsack was riddled with a grapeshot. Again I made the attempt, with the same success. But this time my predecessor, as he swung himself over the fence, was struck in the left arm above the elbow by a grapeshot, his arm falling by his side. I again made the attempt and cleared the fence, barely escaping a large cannon ball that struck the board from which I had just alighted.

We found the enemy bearing down hard on the left of the 1st Brigade. They halted on a hill in our front. A large washout, with a stiff growth of weeds on its banks, extended up the hill. I was among the nine who crawled up in this to surprise the rebs, two of the number receiving severe wounds. Judge of my surprise when, in a short time, I discovered that the rebs had flanked us on the right and gobbled up the most of our regiment and held undisputed control of the field. I crawled on the bank, but could see no chance of escape. I had my gun loaded, but in the excitement it occurred to me that I could not surrender with a loaded gun. A rebel flag, surrounded by fifteen or twenty of its followers, was on a knoll near by. The Confederates did not appear to notice me as I raised my gun and sent my best wishes into their midst. I then threw my gun and sat down. A prisoner! It was the most horrid thought that had ever entered my mind. Never before had I realized the blessings of liberty, and now I had a fair prospect of being sent to Andersonville, Libby, or some other prison. I could not stand it, and springing to my feet and seizing my gun, I started for the North. They ordered me to halt, but without effect; they sent shot after shot after me, till the air appeared alive with missiles, but still without effect. One of them then undertook to run me down; but, after throwing away my knapsack, in which were my diary and the picture of "the girl I left behind me," I managed to make good my escape.

THE GREAT MINE ADVENTURE.

TUNNELING UNDER A REBEL FORT.

BY A MEMBER OF THE 48th PENN. INFANTRY VOLS.

IEUT.-COL. Henry C. Pleasants, of the 48th Penn.
Regt., originated the expedient of a mine.

The distance between our line and the nearest most important rebel force was over four hundred yards-too great to hope for success when the difficulties to be encountered in the way of quicksands, marshes, and discovery by the enemy were taken into consideration. Col. Henry C. Pleasants, however, cherished the idea. The rebel fort loomed temptingly in front, and being a man of energy and practical experience in mining operations, and knowing that he would be ably supported by his regiment, which was mostly composed of miners, he secured permission to commence operations. The work was commenced on the 25th of June, 1864, and with such secrecy was it conducted that for a long time the project was unknown even to those at whose side it was going on. Reports were in circulation, but nobody could speak with certainty of the matter. One soldier, by whose side a ventilating shaft emerged, told his comrades in the most surprised manner that there were a lot of fellows under him "a doing something." He knew there was, for he could "hear 'em talk." To guard against any meeting of our soldiers with rebels, our pickets were ordered to fire continually; hence the never-ending fusillade in front of the 9th Corps so incomprehensible to the other corps. The enemy suspected at first that the undermining was going on, but when several weeks elapsed their suspicions began to vanish, especially as their engineers thought the plan unfeasible.

The progress of the work was very slow, and it was not until the 25th of July, 1864, just one month after its inception, that it

was completed. One of the most important points was to ascertain the exact distance and bearing of the rebel fort. Working under ground is literally working in the dark, but the distances were laid off upon the ground behind our works, and from these lines as bases, and with the angles formed by lines extending in the direction of the fort, a simple geometrical problem was formed, the solution of which gave the required distance. The different triangulations gave a result of five hundred and ten feet. The excavation was commenced in the side of the hill whereon our exterior line of works ran.

The " gallery" was about four and a half feet high, nearly as many feet wide at the bottom and two feet wide at the top. The usual army pick was not suited to the work, and this difficulty was overcome by filing down the flukes to the size of the mining pick. Water was met not far from the entrance, and for a time gave no little trouble. The floor, however, was planked, and the sides and ceiling shored up. A quicksand was also met with, and to obviate it the range of the tunnel was curved upward, so that the latter half was several feet higher than at the entrance. It was easy from June 25 to July 25 to recognize a 48th man by his muddy boots. The earth, as fast as excavated, was conveyed in cracker-boxes or half-barrels, to the mouth, where it was emptied into bags, which were afterwards used on the top of the breastworks. In this manner a suspicious accumulation of earth was avoided. The ventilation of the tunnel was effected by a shaft sunk to the side of the tunnel, at its junction with which a fire-place was built, with a grating opening into the gallery; one end of a series of tubes made of pine boards was inserted through the earth into this fire-place, where, as the air became rarefied and ascended, it created a "suction" or draft in the tubes connecting with the gallery. As fast as the tunnel progressed, additional tubing was jointed on, and followed the workmen step by step. The smoke from the fire could not be concealed; but, to withdraw attention from it, fires were kept burning at various points along the line. The lighting of the tunnel was effected by placing candles or lanterns along the walls at a distance of ten feet apart.

At length the end was reached, and the triangulation was verified by the noises heard overhead. The nailing of timber and planks could be distinctly heard, and left no doubt that the men were directly beneath the rebel fort. The enemy were

evidently making a flooring for their artillery. As soon as it was apparent that the fort had been reached, the construction of the mine was commenced. The angle of the fort projected toward our lines, and under this angle the tunnel diverged into two galleries, each running, as near as could be ascertained, under each side. It was the intention that the mine should consist of eight magazines, placed at intervals along these branch galleries, so that the entire length of the fort might be blown up in place of one spot. The mines were eight in number-four in either branch gallery. They were two by two, and the explosion resulted in four craters. The explosion of the magazines was effected through tubes of pine wood, six inches. square, half filled with powder. They ran along the bottom of the tunnel, and entered the magazines through openings made for them. Between each pair of magazines and over the tubing was the "tamping" of sand bags and logs. The tubes extended only one hundred feet from the mine; thence they were connected with the mouth of the tunnel by fuses-the regular "sure-fire" coal mining of Pennsylvania.

The mine was charged on the 27th day of July, 1864. The quantity of powder used was six tons! Think of it. Twelve thousand pounds!

After thirty-two days and nights of constant toil the work was complete and only awaited the lighting of the fuse.

First Men Arrested by Order of First Colors Planted at Chapin's War Department.

ANIEL FISH and Dr. Sabot, both of New York, were the first men arrested in the North by order of the War Department. This was on the 24th of April, 1861.

HIGHEST MARINE RANK.

THE rank of vice-admiral, conferred

upon Farragut, was a higher rank than had ever before been known in this country.

Farm.

APT. CHARLES BLUCHER, 188th Penn. Regt., planted the first national colors on the rebel fortifications in the charge of September 30, 1864, at Chapin's Farm.

First Vt. Cavalry, Cedar Creek.

O regiment captured so much on a single charge as was captured by the 1st Vermont Cavalry at the battle of Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864.

A HOT FIGHT.~

BATTLE OF PEACH TREE CREEK, BEFORE ATLANTA.

JULY 19, 1864.

MORITZ TSCHOEPE, Company C, 24th Wis.

FTER a whole series of battles, charges, skirmishings, etc., we arrived on the evening of the 19th of July, 1864, on the bank of Peach Tree creek, and occupied some old breastworks. To the right of our division camped the 20th Corps, Hooker in command of it. On the morning of the 20th we were aroused by artillery firing on our left. I saw a whole lot of soldiers standing on the breast work, and I ran up too, to see what was up. A battery amused themselves by shelling the rebel picketpits. At last, two pieces of that battery dashed out in full gallop on the road right in the rebel picket-line, limbered off right and left, and shelled the pits. I thought that was a great piece of bravery. In the afternoon the bugles "fall in," and shortly after we saw the corps advancing in line of battle-skirmishers in front, artillery in the rear-in grand style. We crossed the bridge, formed line of battle, and advanced until we got in line with the 20th Corps. Our division was more in the timber, while Hooker's corps was in open field. Soon our skirmishers, who had advanced through the woods, discovered Hood's army massed for a grand attack. Skirmishing commenced, and we went to work to build a kind of barricade. We did not need to wait long. Our skirmishers ran back, the rebel column after them. We received them in good shape. On came the enemy again and again, and I could not help admiring their bravery, but it was all in vain. They had to retreat with terrible loss. Two days after they were more suc