The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-08-07
JOHN STRAY.
The HerOism of an EnSinees at the
seig2 of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES en- " hich
a Romance was founded.
From the New York Post.

VA ccH " HIGH
Romance was founded.
From the New York Post.
In novel lately published, entitled
MARK Gldersleeve. the hero, an officer
in the Union army during the late war,
is represented as performing an exploit
which, although seemingly fancifu and
extravagant, is nevertheless the recital of
an actual occurrence. and is worth re-
cording an extraordinary instance of cool
courage and s,eadiness of nerve in stu
alton of extreme peril.
In the ficticious narrative Captain
Mark Gildersleeve is made, while in
venturesome mood, to unspike cannon
during the siege of Richmond, directly in
the face of the enemy's sharpshooters.
Now the true hero of this feat was not a
''curled darling in shoulder-straps," as
Capt. Mark is represented to be, but
sturdy old John Stray, private in the
First New York Volunteer Engineers,
snd the scene of action was not In Vir-
ginia, but in South Carolina, on Morris
Island, in July 1868, after the disaster
Gus attack on Fort Wagner. Baffled in
that assault, Gen. Gilmore lost no time
In taking means to reduce the fort by
regular approaches, and in few days
after the bloody repulse the first parallel
had been opened and breeching battery
was in position. During a night attack
on the Union works the rebels succeed
ing driving the men from their position
and spiking the guns in the battery.
This was a serious check, as the rebel
sharpshooters, In rife pits, effectually
stopped further progress on the part of
the engineering corps. One of the spik
ed guns, 200 FOUNDER Parrot complete
~ raked the rife pits, and it was of the
utmost importance that it should be
brought into action. Ia this difficulty
the chief of ordnance called for volun
teers to restore the piece of service
To do this it was necessary to mo1nt
the cannon and drill out the spibe OF
structing the vent while the foe were
diligently trying TO pick off the venture
some workman from his perch. As no
one seemed ambitious to undertake the
venture, Col. Mordecai applied to Stray
who, besides being skilled machinist,
had given proof of unusual GOODNESS and
daring. At the request of the Colonel
he inspected the gun, but the shower of
bullets which greeted his appearance was
not calculated to encourage him, and re-
ported that be did not think that any one
could live long enough on the cannon to
unspike it. Without trying to influence
him against his inclinations, the Colonel
replied that if he were willing to make
the attempt and should be killed, he 1.-THE
Colonell would see that his family were
provided for
This promise decided Stray. At night
fall he went forth on his perilous errand,
armed siAply with brace and bits
Straddiing the breech of the monstrous
piece, and crouching as low as possible.
he..plied the drill vigorously. No sooner
had he begun to work than the enemy
perceived him, and flash after flash sue
ceeded from their rifle-pits Stray could
see, as he worked, the long rife pits Of
the rebels. not hundred yards distant,
abaze with the light of fifty rifles, and
feel the wind of their bullets as they
whistled past him. Occasionly one struck
the cannon, as he noticed by the peculiar
chirp of the impact. Favored partly by
the obscurity, and more by good luck, he
remained unscatched, save by one skin
scraping shot Iu fifteen minutes-it
seemed to him an hour-the vent was
clear. As the gun was loaded, lanyard
and primer were passed up to him, and
these affixed he slipped quickly off. The
rebels, seeing him drop imagined they
had shot him, and sent up a loud yell of
exultation, which was suddenly checked
as discharge of grape scattered death
among them. The rihe-pits were at once
abandoned, and our sappers and miners
enabled to proceed without interruption
The captain of the battery reported TWEEN
ty-two lead marks from bullets that struck
the piece.
In reward for this exploit Stray was
offered Second Lieutenancy, but being
modest man, and not flied by education
for the position, he declined it and vas
satisfied to accept the appointments of
master mechanic in the ordnance depart
ment.
This is by no means the only adven-
ture of peril that Stray was engaged in
during the war, and his history would
make readable volume. He was pre-.
scented by Major General Gilmore the
bronze medal for valorous conduct Of
which We believe but thlrty-nine in all
were ever distributed. Stray is now an
engineer employed in factor, in jersey
City. He is short, thick, set man O,
about fifty or so, with grey beard frio0.
ing quiet but determined couptenanca
Many less dee wing names will be handed
down TO posterity. TO become illustriou.
with time. than that of this obscure hero
John Stray.
HIS l.