Note 168 — 1855. 1st January-8th April. SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.

During a night of searching cold, some sappers made a blaze with a few bits of broken gabions and fascines in the tool store in rear of No. 2 battery. It had nearly burnt out when private Corrigan going in for a warm, chided the men for not keeping up a better fire. “I know where some good charcoal can be found,” said he, and off he went to collect it, bringing in with him, soon after, a number of nice little balls, firmly compacted and crisped with the frost. “Now for it,” said the firemaster, impressed with the importance of his success, and speaking contemptuously of the discrimination of his comrades, “we shall soon have a fire worth looking at.” With the confidence of one proud of his discovery he stirred up the sticks, and throwing a few pieces of the compound on the expiring embers, they soon ignited, and to the unutterable amazement of the group, exploded! Corrigan had perhaps the greatest reason to be astonished at the treacherous behaviour of his “patent fuel,” for besides having the hair of his head, moustache, and beard burnt to the roots, his face was so scorched and scarified, it took three weeks to cure him of an injury which the Doctors had latinized into “Ambustio.” The ingredient with which Corrigan hoped to make a roaring bivouac fire, consisted of some damaged powder which, removed from the magazine of No. 2 battery, had been thrown loosely over the ground, and, in mingling with the mud, had in time solidified into lumps wearing those pleasing characteristics which, in intense cold weather, was so apt to deceive a poor shivering soul. Ever after, whatever expedients the sappers employed to light their trench fires, they took care not to be beguiled into the use of “Corrigan’s charcoal.”