From the pages of the Athens Post appears this article:
Comfortable Winter Quarters--A Good Suggestion.
An officer of the Third Regiment North Carolina State troops at Aquia
Creek, Virginia, writing to a friend, describes a mode of improving the
comfort of tent life in winter, which we publish for the better of others.
He writes:
Since Monday the weather has turned suddenly cold, which we feel
very sensibly. Fortunately, at the suggestion of Gen. Holmes, I
commenced last week digging cellars about 2 feet deep, and making
fire-places for my tents, and am pleased to report the experiment works
admirably. With a handful of chips the tents made warm and comfortable,
more so in fact than log cabins or shanties, and at less expense and
labour. The plan is simple and I cheerfully give it with the hope of
benefitting other brothers in arms, who like ourselves, expecting to winter
in Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and New York, have not time or
orders to put up shanties, but in the meantime do not care about
freezing to death or getting frostbitten. Dig the cellar not quite as long or
wide as the tent to prevent rain coming in, about two feet deep; in the
rear wall or side dig a hole, shape of a fire-place, (small) say 8 X 10 inches
deep—run the flue or hole out 18 inches back of the tent, then build a
common dirt or clay chimney, four or five high, and you have comfortable
winter quarters.
[Athens Tennessee Post, Athens, Tennessee, Friday, November 1, 1861]
11 27 1862 [Thursday]
Was spent in getting wood an building fireplaces for our tents. Some built
with sticks and clay while others built with old bricks. [Lenoirs, Tenn.,
Travels of the 43rd Regiment, Tennessee Volunteers, Diary of I. J. Stamper,
Co. F, Lt. and Fife Master]