The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1873-07-03
John Stray.
a real Hero ont Of a .Book(
From the New York Post.

From the New York Post.
In a novel lately published, g.
titled Mark Gildersleeve, the h(ro,
an officer in the Union army 6ur.
ing the late war, 10 represJbted
as performing an exploit yhich,
although seemingly fancifH and
extravagaht, is nevertheless the
recital ofan actual occurrence
which took Place under other cir
cumstances, ard 10 worth record
ing rs ah extraordinary instance
OF cool courage and stesdinees of
nerve in a situation Of extreme
danger.
In the fictitions narrative, Cap.
tain Mark Gilderslecve 10 made,
while in a ven,uresOInc mood, to-
unsp'ke a cannon during the seiye
Of Richmond, directly in the face
Of the encmy's sharpshooters.
Now, tho true hero of this feat
wac not a "curled darling in shout.
der straps as Capt. Mark is repre-
sentod to be, but the sturdy old
John Stray, private in the Let
Volunteer; Engineers,apd the scene
Of action was not in Virginia, but
in South Carolina, on Morris Is.
land, in July 1868, after the dis.
astrous attacks ON Fort Wagner,
when the gallant Shaw met
his death at the head Of the 54th
Massachusetts, (colored). Baffied
in that assanlt, General Gilmore
lost no time in taking means to
reduce the fort by regular APP
proaches, aud in a few days after
the bloody assault the first parallel
had been opened aud a preaching
battery was in position. Uufor-
tunately during q night attack on
the Union works the rebels sue
ceedcd in driving the men from
their position and spikiDg the guns
in the battery. This was q serious
check, as the rebel sharpshooters,
ensconcing themselves in rifle
pits, etfectually stopped further
progress on the part Of tho ensi-
necr corps. One oftle spiked
guna, u 200 pound Parrott. com
p!etely raked tho rifle pits, and il
was OF the utmost importance that
it should be brought into action |;
but every attempt made by tho
U"ion men to effect this met with
a murderous volley from the
vigilant rebel marksmen. In
this difficulty the chief Of ord
mace called for volunteers to re =
store the piece to service.
To do this it was necessary to
mount the cannon and drill ont
the spike obstructing the vent
while the foo were diligently oc-
cupied on their part, in picking
Uff the venturesone workman
from Hs perch. Az no one seem.
cd ambitious to undertake the
venture, tho Chief Of Ordnance,
Col. Mordecai, applied to Stray,
who, besides being u skilled ma
chinisf, .had given proof on sew
eral occasions Of unusual cool
ness and daring. At the request
Of the Colonel he inspected the
gun, but tho shower Of bullets
which greeted his appearance
was not calculated to encourage
him, and he reported that he dill
not think anyone could live long
enough on the cannon to unspike
it; aud having a wife aud young
childrcD, he was not DESTROYS OF
making the effort, Without try.
ing TO influence him against his
inclinations, the Colonel replied
that if he were willing to make
the attempt and should be killed,
he (the C"lonel) would see that
his family were provided Tor.
This promise decided Stray.
and he concluded to try and ach.
ieve the feat. At nightfall he
went forth on his perilous errand
armed simply with a brace and
bits. StIadling the Lreech of the
monstrOus piece, and crouchips as
low as possible, he Piled the drill
vigorously. No sooner had he
begun to work than the enemy
perceived him, and fash after
flash succeeded from their rifle
pits. 1t is one thing to. exhibit
prowess amid the clash and rush
Of battle fired by the contagion
Of enthusiastic comrades, and an
other to brave death siDgly and
deliberately. Stray could see, az
lie worked, the long rife pits OF
the rebels, not a hundred yards
distant, ablsze with the light OF
fifty titles, and feel the wind Of
their bullets as they whistled past
him. Occasionally one struck the
cannon, as he noticed by the pc.
culiar chip of the impact. Fav.
,orcd partly by the obscurity and
more by good luck, he remained
nnscathed, save by one skinscrap
ing shot. In fifteen minutes,
seemed to him an hour-the vent
was clear. Asthe gun was loaded
a lanyard and primer were passed
up 10 him and these affixed, he
slipped quickly off. The rebel,
seeing linn drop imagined they
shot him, and sent up a yell Of
exultatioD, which was suddenly
checked as a discharge of grape
scattered death among them. The
rife pits were at once abandoned
and our sappcrs and miners en-
abled to proceed.without further
iuforrut,tion Tho canfoip If Oh