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A hospital on the firing-line Confederate Camp in front of Petersburg, captured June 15, 1864 This abandoned Confederate Camp fell into Federal hands June 15, 1864. It was used by the Union troops as a temporary hospital and camp. Three assaults had been made on Petersburg before this photograph was taken, June 24, 1864. The man with his arm in the sling is evidently one of the slightly wounded who was sent to this field hospital. It was not long before these rough shelters gave place to bomb-proofs and burrows. As the siege progressed the soldiers on both sides lived subterranean lives. Nothing was safe above ground within range of musketry fire. Even the resting-camps in which the relieving regiments took turns had to be heavily protected from dropping shells and long-range fire. It was in such exposed positions as this Camp of abandoned winter-huts that some of the surgery had to be performed at the front. |