Excursions in the Woods. 87 



surprise. We were to fly at once lo the blockhouse, com- 

 manded by Captain von der Groeben, which was about a gun- 

 shot from our quarters. These alarming reports were sometimes 

 so positive that they somewhat interfered with our sleep. 



Bridgeport, situated on the high northern bank of the Ten- 

 nessee, consisted originally of only a few houses and a saw- 

 mill standing near the river ; but in war time it had become 

 much enlarged by a spacious field hospital and many other 

 military wooden buildings, mostly serving as magazines for the 

 provisions and as dwelhngs for the officers, connected with the 

 commissariat. In a house on the highest point the commander 

 of the post. Colonel Taylor, commanding a Kentucky regi- 

 ment, had estabUshed his head-quarters. 



The only family unconnected with the troops living at 

 Bridgeport, was that of a clergyman of the name of Gilford. 

 Their dwelling-house stood on the top of the before-mentionetl 

 ridge, but being there right in the midst of the rebels, and not 

 feeling safe amongst them on account of his Union tendencies, 

 he had left there and was living now in a wooden house, which 

 he had made rather comfortable with the furniture carried over 

 from his dwelling on the hill. His wife and grown-up daugh- 

 ters were very agreeable persons, and we passed with them 

 many pleasant evenings. They were, however, not the only 

 ladies in Bridgeport, for a Captain Armstrong, of the commis- 

 sariat, had his wife with him, and two other ladies were 

 attached to the Christian Commission, 



Though Bridgeport was not far from our camp, a visit, and 

 especially our return home, was not without danger. Roads 

 scarcely existed, for what might have been called so had been 

 changed by the heavy rains into an unfathomable quagmire. 

 We had therefore to drive always over firmer ground ; but not- 

 withstanding its being made dangerous by the many stumps of 

 trees projecting, we had never an accident, though our heads 

 were frequently knocked against each other. The most dan- 

 gerous part ot the road was, however, the descent to the 

 bridge, and I still wonder that we never rolled down into the 

 river. 



We had frequent visits also, attempted even to give dinners, 

 and in the evenmg we had generally company. We played a 

 rubber of whiSt, and Groeben brewed a very acceptable egg- 

 nog or punch, for the wine furnished by our sutler, though 



