August 23, 1864
Major Duane, who
visits me much of evenings, because he can't use his eyes, told me a story of
Captain Cullum (now General Cullum) that I thought eminently Cullumish. Cullum
was building a small fort at New London and was visited by a country editor,
whom he received with high state and gave a lecture on the principles of
fortification, after showing the small work on which he was engaged. He took as
an example a large bastioned fort, and showed how it could be breached in forty
days; and how the defenders would then make an interior line and drive out the
stormers when they got inside the first. The editor, taking all this as
applicable to the New London work, went home and published a tremendous leader,
in which he said that the talented Captain Cullum was erecting the largest
bastion fort in the world; that it would take you forty days to get inside it, and,
when you were inside, you were worse off than you were before! The
General rode along a new line we had been making, principally the work of the
nigs, who are very faithful at making a breastwork and slashing the timber in
front. A colonel or two got well pitched into for not having their men with
their belts on and ready for action. I do believe our soldiers would sooner run
the risk of getting shot twice a day, than take any little precaution. To-day I
performed an act of military charity, by sending, per flag-of-truce boat, some
coffee and sugar to Joe Hayes and Arthur Sedgwick.
SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s
Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness
to Appomattox, p. 223-4
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