Blog number 313 **** 07 July 2009
I'm reading a book called, "Vicksburg 1863" - a story about the siege of Vicksburg Mississippi during the American Civil War.
The Federals have Vicksburg surrounded, but the Rebels have been able to prevent them from entering the city. The Federals tunnel under the Rebel's trenches and breastworks, fill the tunnels with barrels of black powder and then set off the barrels, blowing up the breastworks.
The Rebels start a tunnel on their side, hoping to blow up the Federals tunnel before the Federals can set it off. The Federals blow up their tunnel before the rebels can set theirs off, killing six men. Because of this, the Rebels started using slaves for tunneling, with one white overseer.
One slave had been working deep underground when the tunnel was set off. The blast sailed him clear over into the Federal line. When asked how high he thought he had been blown, he replied, "Dunno, massa, but I t'ink about t'ree miles."
A contingent of Iowa soldiers set the man up in a tent and charged fifty cents for people to take a look at him.
On another page, there is a description of a man about to eat from a spoon who has the spoon shot out from his hand. He said, "That was cool." - one hundred years before it was cool to say cool.
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