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- Aug 27, 2011
- Location
- Central Massachusetts
In 1886, Samuel Putnam published his wartime diary as The Story of Company A, 25th Regiment Mass. Volunteers. During training outside Annapolis in the fall of 1861, he includes this description (pp.39-40):
"On the morning of December 3rd, we found the ground frozen quite hard and water in pails outside the tents had frozen about a half an inch. This set the boys to contriving ways to warm the tents, and after some experimentation they hit upon a plan something like this. A pit was dug in the center of the tent about 18 inches deep, and as large as could be nicely covered with a flat stone. This pit was sometimes lined with stones somewhat after the style of a well, to keep the earth from caving in. From the bottom of the pit a hole was dug to the outside of the tent, for the entrance of fresh air; then from near the top of the pit another hole was made to the outside of the tent in the rear, as an outlet for the smoke; over this hole outside a chimney was built of mud and sticks, or a barrel which answered as well, and the thing was complete. Now build a fire in the pit, cover the top with the flat stone, and the Lord willing and the wind in the right direction, what smoke didn't find its way into the tent might possibly go out the chimney.This experiment was, perhaps, fairly successful, and some tents were made quite warm in this way."
"On the morning of December 3rd, we found the ground frozen quite hard and water in pails outside the tents had frozen about a half an inch. This set the boys to contriving ways to warm the tents, and after some experimentation they hit upon a plan something like this. A pit was dug in the center of the tent about 18 inches deep, and as large as could be nicely covered with a flat stone. This pit was sometimes lined with stones somewhat after the style of a well, to keep the earth from caving in. From the bottom of the pit a hole was dug to the outside of the tent, for the entrance of fresh air; then from near the top of the pit another hole was made to the outside of the tent in the rear, as an outlet for the smoke; over this hole outside a chimney was built of mud and sticks, or a barrel which answered as well, and the thing was complete. Now build a fire in the pit, cover the top with the flat stone, and the Lord willing and the wind in the right direction, what smoke didn't find its way into the tent might possibly go out the chimney.This experiment was, perhaps, fairly successful, and some tents were made quite warm in this way."
Bringing the