Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-07-14
NO. 1865.
JOHN STRAY.

yUHN hTkAl.
IN novel lately published, entitled
Mark Gildereleeve,' the hero, an officer
in the Union army during the late war,
IS represented AS performing an exploit
which, although seemingly fanciful and
eAtravagant, is nevertheless the recital oil
an actual occurrence which took place
under other circumstances, and is worth
recording as an extraordinary instance
OF cool courage and steadiness of nerve in
Il situation of extreme peril. ss...
In the fictitious narrative Captain Mark
Hildersleeve is made, while in a venture
some mood, to unspike q 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 cruel dar-
ling in shoulder straps" as Captain Mark
Is represented to be, but sturdy old John
Stray. private in the First New York
volunteer Engineers, and the scene of
action was not in Virginia, but in South
Carolina, on Morris Island, in July, 1864,
after the disastrous attack on Fort Wap-
ner, where the gallant Shaw met his death
at the head of the Fifty-Fourth Massachu-
sets (coloreO. Bafiled in that assault.
General Gilmore lost no time in taking
means to reduce the fort by regular ap-
proaches and in few days after the
bloody repulse the first parallel had been
opened and preaching battery was IN
position. Unfortunately, during night
attack on Union works the rebels succeed
Ell in driving the men from their position
and spiking the guns in the battery
lhl> was serious check, as the rebel
sharrshooters, ensconcing themselves in
rifle rts, effeetuaily stopped further pro
@re>' on the part of the engineer corps
one OF the spiked guns, a two hundred
FOUNDER Parrot, completely raked the rifle
pits, and it was of the utmost Importance
that it should be brought into action; bni
every attempt made by the Union men 10
effect this met with muderous volley from
the vigilant rebel marksmen. In this diff
Guilty the chief of ordnance called for vol
unteers to restore the piece to service
io do this it was necessary to mount
the cannon, and drill out the spike obstruct-
ing the vent while the foe were diligently
occupied, on their part, in picking off the
Septuresome workman from his perch
As no one seemed ambitious to undertake
the venture. the echief-of-ordnance Colonel
Mordecai, applied to Stray, who, besides
being skilled machinist, had given proof
on several occasions 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 he
reported that he did not think any one
could live long enough on the cannon TO
unspike it: and having a wife and young
children, he was mot desirous of making
the effort. 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 (the
coloneD would see that his family were
proyi ided for.
This promise decided Stray, and he con-
Guided to try and achieve the feat. At
nightfall he went forth on his perilous er-
rand, armed simply with brace and bit
otraddling the brich of the monstrous piece
and crouchng as Tow as possible, he piled
the drill vigorously. No sooner had he
begun to work than the enemy perceived
him, and flash after flash succeeded from
thier rifle pits. 1t is one thing to exhibit
prowess amid the clash and rush Of battle,
fired by the contagion ofenthusiastic com
rades, and another to brave death singly
and deliberately. Stray could see as he
worked. the long rifle pits of the rebels,
not hundred yards distant. ablaze with
the light fifty rifles, and feel the wind OF
their bullets as they visited past him.
Occasionally 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 unscathed, save
by one skin-scraping shot. In fifteen
minutes-it seemed TO him an hour--the
vent was clear. As the gun was loaded,
Il laneyard and primer were passed up to
him, and these affixed he slips quickly
OIL. The rebels seeing him drop imagined
they had shot him and sent up yell of ex-
ultation, which was suddenly checked As
discarge of grape scattered death among
them. The rifle pits were at once aban-
doned, and our sappers and miners enabl-
ed TO proceed without further interruption
The captain of the battery reported twenty
one lead marks from bullets that struck
the piece.
/ In reward for this exploit Stray was Of
tered second-lieutenancy, but being q
modest man. and not fitted by education
for the position, he declined it, and was
satisfied to keep the appointment of master
mechanic in the Ordnance department,
This was by no means the only adventu
rous peril that Stray was engaged in
daring the war, and his history would
make a readable volume. He was pre-
sented by Maor-General Gilmore with
the bronze medal for valorous cond1ct,
of which we believe that but thirty y-nine
in all were ever distributed Stray is
now an engineer employed in a factory
in Jersey City. He is a short. thck-set
man OF fifty or SO, with a grey beard fring-
ing quiet but determined countenance.
Many IA less deserving name viii be han
,ed down to posterity, to become illustri-
ons with time than that of this obscure
horo, John strav.-[N, Y. Evening Post.