The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-11-04

rom gun to gun, twirling, as he
small cane in his fingers,
of the iron and leaden tor !
rent raining about him, and as calm
and self-collected as if it were a prom
enade he was taking!
At Murfreesboro he was twice pain
fully wounded. With one foot crushed,
he continued to fight his guns, oblivi-
GUS of the wound that was to lame
him for life; and he persisted in re-
manning there until ordered away by
his General. AS he was retiring, Ma
ior Green met him. Never gave a
hero better evidence of courage than
was visible in his emotion-the tears
were streaming down his checks; and
he seemed almost heart-broken. The
command of his General to. retire had
occasioned his grief.
But it was in exploding the Confed-
crate magazine at Nashville, after that
place had fallen and the Confederates
had retired to Murfreesboro', that Ma
jor Hotchkiss performed the act that
will immortalize his name. The Daily
Chattanooga Rebel, dated January II,
1868, contains an account of this deed,
and the bare recital (Which we will
publish next weekly is sufficient to
make one shudder. The writer of
fiction may turn aside from the region
of romance to that fact, and find in the
hazardous venture of Major Hotchkiss
and the circumstances surrounding it,
an episode in human affairs suited to
his most ambitious projects.
Riding straight from Murfreesboro'
to Nashville, disguised only with a
cloak, Major Hotehkiss went to the
public square of the latter city, thence
to a hotel, and there obtained his sup
per. He rode out of town to the
Arsenal, situated in a glen, "a place
tangled, obscure and Wild" The wind
was blowing a gale; the moon came
and went as the clouds sailed over it,
making shadows that seemed instinct
with life and above the weeping will
lows the powder-house reared itself,
, an object of terror and fit abode for
the messengers of Death. Penetra-
ting the building, the Major procured
r powder and fuse for his train; but not
without an accident it thrills one
, with horror to contemplate. He car
, ried pistol cooked in his bosom, that
, was discharged with a hair trigger.
The floor of the house was covered
with loose powder. AS he was OPEN
, ing box, his pistol fell to the floor |!
What moment-what lifetime in
that fall Closing his eyes as the pis-
, toll started from its place, the gallant
officer prepared to see his mission for
= ever closed simultaneously with the
untoward completion of his task. But
: harmless the weapon rolled over on
, the floor and lay at his feet undis-
: charged.
The match prepared and train laid,
the daring scout withdrew to be the
~ solitary witness of the explosion which
was soon to make Nashville tremble
and illuminate the heavens. Minutes
- that seemed hours, passed, and the ex
- plosion came not. Had he failed Had
y he to return, to be, perhaps, betrayed
:, by some hidden spark?
q Cautiously moving toward the house
q he looked from an elevation. He could
: see the house and the location of his
q train, but no fire. Steadily watching
r he at last perceived a small spark unde,
+ a ledge of rock within a few PAGES Of
, the building. Then came the race fol
r life. Just as he reached his horse, g
n sudden glare of light and an awful de
# tonation pronounced the work coin
It plete, with midday splendor and ir
laundering tones. That night he reach
:. ed camp, and around the camp fires
n was made, no doubt, to rehearse ove
e and again the story of the explosion
It but only the Imagination of the listen
e ers could reckon the thoughts and feel
8 ings of a man in such perilous situa
e ton as that we have barely sketched.
4 It is such a man as this that we have
t laid at rest-that has quietly pursued
g his way among us, the most unobtru
n sive, and yet the most valorous Of us
:, all. No belted knight of old ever pos
g sessed more courage, more magnimity
S more charity or Drawer impulses thar
l. did THOMAS II. HOrCIIKIss. He wa.
It insensible to fear. He was honorable
II and honest; upright, liberal, manly anC
e good. The South was his idol, and hi
k never ceased to regret her failure anC
I. her misfortunes, and we doubt not thai