Interior of Fort Sedgwick

O'Sullivan, Timothy H., 1840-1882 · May 1865

From "War Memories" catalog: Fort Sedgwick on the Petersburg line was nicknamed by the troops "Fort Hell," because the Rebel shot and shell was rained into it so constantly and fiercely. This glimpse of the bomb-proof quarters of the garrison gives an idea of the unpleasantness of the fort as a place of residence during the early days of 1865. The boys, however, succeeded in extracting considerable comfort from life, even here. The rough chimney with the old pork barrel for a chimney pot, leads down underground to a little fire-place around which many a song was sung or story told, even while Death was holding his carnival just outside.