The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-07-15
An Incident Of the War.

\UhlNG the siege oil Fort wagner III
~ 1868 the following deed Of daring
was performed by John Stray, private
in the New York Volunteers.
General Gilmore had taken steps to re-
duce the fort by regular siege and had es-
tablished parallel of guns which was
doing good work. Unfortunately, during
a night attack on the Union works the
rebels succeeded in driving them from
their position and spiking the guns in the
battery. This was serious check, as the
rebel sharpshooters, ensconcing themselves
in rifle pits, effectually stopped further
progress on the part of the engineer corps.
One of the spiked guns 200 FOUNDER
Parrott, completely raked the rife pits, and
it was of the utmost Importance that it
should be brought into action but every
attempt made by the Union men to effect
this met with murderous volley from the
vigilant rebel marksmen. In this difficulty
the chief of ordnance called for volunteers
TO restore the piece to service.
To do this it was necessary to mount
structing the vent while the foe were dill
ligently occupied, on their part, in picking
off the venturesome workman from his
perch. AS no one seemed ambitious to
undertake the venture, the chief of ordi-
nance, Colonel Mordiceai, applied to Stray,
who, besides being skillful machinist,
had given proof on several occasions of un-
usual 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 he reported that he
did not think any one could live long
enough on the cannon to unspike it and
having wife and young children, he was
not desirous of making the effort. With
out trying to influence him against his in
clinations, the colonel replied that if he
were willing TO make the attempt and
should be killed, he (the coloneD would
see that his family were provided for.
This promise decided Stray, and he con-
cluded to try and achieve the feat. At
nightfall he went forth on his perilous er-
rand, armed simply with brace and bits.
Straddling the breech of the monstrous
piece, and couching as low as possible, he
piled the drill vigorously. No sooner had
he began to work than the enemy per-
ceived him, and flash after flash succeeded
from their rihe-pits. 1t is one thing to
exhibit prowess amid the clash and rush of
battle, fired by the contagion of enthusi-
astic comrades, another to brave death
singly and deliberately Stray could see,
as he worked, the long rifle pits of the
rebels, not a hundred yards distant, ablaze
with the light of fifty rifles, and feel the
wind of their bullets as they whistled past
him. Occasionlly 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 un-
scathed, save by one skin-scraping shot.
In fifteen minutes-it seemed to him an
hour--the vent was clear. AS the gun was
loaded, a 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 set up
a yell of exultation, which was suddenly
checked as discharge of grape scattered
death among them. The rife-pits were at
once abandoned, and our sappers and min
ers enabled 10 proceed without any further
interruption. The captain of the battery
reported twenty-five lead marks from bull
lets that had struck the piece. r
In reward for this exploit, Stray was Of
fered a second lieutenancy, but being
modest man, and not fitted by education
for the position, he declined it and was
satisfied TO accept the appointment of
master mechanic in the ordnance depart
ment. ha 81
This was by no means the only adyep-
ture of peril that Stray was engaged in
during the war, and his history would
make readable volume. He was pre-
sented by Major General Gilmore with the
bronze medal for yalorous conduct of
which believe but thirty-nine in all were
ever distributed. Stray is now an engineer
employed in factory in Jersey City. He
is short, thick set man of fifty or SO, with
gray beard fringing quiet but determ-
ed countenance. Many less deserving
name will be handed down to posterity, to
become illustrious with time, than that of
this obscure hero, John Stray.
Freaks Of n Lunatic.
A etn.x, 10 4o1d nf a Erancl, ,,ao.la...,..