Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-06-14
from the New York Mercury,
THE WHITE HAT.
An Incidnt Of the Present War.
ey n1oNs1EUE lie ooNrEuH.

y
doubt nearest to us was on a bill TO the
right aud in front Of Fort Donelson.
1t was only an earthwork, but pretty
well built, and protected by some toler-
able heavy guns III that side of the
| fort.
My regiment held very good posi-:
| ton in A sort Of corner made by a hill
and a small wood. We could hide
among the trees somewhat, and pick
off the artilIerymen in the redoubt,
whenever they showed themselves
| That's why we were stationed there ;
we were sharp-shooters, you know, and
had first,rate rifles.
There were some pretty smart shots
on t'other side, too. Some of those
Mississippi and Arkansas fellows are
regular devils at shooting straight, and
it wasn't safe for Us to cut any capers
in plain sight Of them.
MY captain was killed by one of
| them. He was a hair-brailied chap,
vas Morrison, and seemed t" put him
self in the way of danger, rather than
not. The gold stripes on his trowserS
and cap made good mark, and when
he went down the Hill to little ciutnp
of bushes to see about posting onr two
howitzers there, SD we could shell the
redoubt, I judged likely he wouldn'l
come back.
He didn't, Our first lieutenant and
five men went down and brought his
| body in, when the enrlny's fire let up a
bit ; and I noticed he was shot in the
head. It was good shooting, sir, at
long range. There aren't many who
can hit a man at all, a quarter Of a
| mile off much less hit his head and
don't doubt the fellow aimed just
where he hit.
sWe held that position through near
| ly the whole fight The sortie that
drove back Gen. McClernand, and took
Schwartz's battery, was not in our di-
rection. That was on the other side,
along the road, to our left. When.the
reinforcemente came and helped Me-
Clernand, VIC joined in, and followed
the rebels as they retreated, till we
took the redonbt.
Fighting so long from one position,
We got pretty well acquainted with the
enemy. There were only few who
dared show themselves much on the
side of the outwork toward us. They
were the crack shots, and only showed
their heads long enough to take aim
and fire.
The best among them was, man
with a white hat. One of these tall
white felt hats you know, that country
fellows wear. He had red ribbon
tied round it, and it was tlp-top
mark. But he was cunning as wea-
sci. He sat the hat up on his ramrod,
just over the edge OF the breastwork,
and went few yards from it to fire.
If one of our fellows went in sight to
shoot at the hat. supposing 1t had a
head in it, a bullet would come whist
ling mighty close-close enough to
make a hole sometimes land old
whitehall would jump up, wave his
arms and yell SO you could have heard
| him mile.
sThere were about twenty OF us
who were called the best rltlemen OF
the regiment. hope you wont think
Pm Dragging, sir, when I say | was one
of them. I've done some deer and
turkey shooting in my time, down on
the Mississippi, and have handled
rifle ever since I was big enough tc
LIT one
sWen, we all had a crack at this lei
low with the white hat, over and over
again, but somehow we couldn't Ill
him.
sWe scared him. l saw his ha
come up above the parapet, and knew
it was on the ramrod again SO says
to Janers, one of my men: 'Janers
you shoot at that. but keep covered
; and then when he rises IN fetch him.
80 Janers blazed away at the tile
but like fool he went right ont on tn
hill to do it. v7e could see htsl