The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1873-08-13
MISCELLANY.
.IoHN STRAY.

In novel lately published entitled !" Mark
Gilderslieve, . the hero, an officer of the Union
army during the late war; is represented as
performing an exploit which although SEEM
ingly fanciful and extravagant, is neverthe
less the recital of an actual occurrence which
took place under other circumstances, and is
worth recording as an extraordinary instance
situation of extreme peril.
In the fictitious narrative, Captain Mark
Gilderslieve is made, while in a venturesome
mood, to unspike cannon during the seige of
Richmond directly in the face of the enemy's
sharpshooters. Now the true hero of this
feat was not "curled darling in shoulder
straps, as Captain Mark is represented to be,
but sturdy John Stray, a private in the New
York Volunteer Engineers, and the scene of
action was not in Virginia, but in South Caro-
lima, on Morris Island, in july 1868, after
the disastrous attack on Fort Wagner, when
the gallant Shaw met his death at the head of
the Fifty fourth Massachusetts, (colored.) Baf-
fled in the 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
preaching battery was in position. Unfor-
tunately, during night attack on the Union
works the rebels succeeded in driving the men
from their position and spiking the guns in
the battery. This was serious check, as the
rebel sharpshooters, ensconcing themselves in
III 40 ,;fs off cfonpad f,,rfLar rrooracc
on the part of the engineer corps. One of
the spiked guns, 200 FOUNDER Parrot COM
pletely raked the rifle-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 murder
GUS volley from the vigilant rebel marksmen.-
In this difficulty the chief of ordinance called
for volunteers to restore the piece to service.
To do this it was necessary to mount the
cannon and drill out the spike obstructing
the vent while the foe were diligently occupi-
ed, on their part, in picking off the venture
some workman from his perch. AS no one
seemed ambitious to undertake the venture,
the chief or ordinance, Colonel Mordecai, APP
piled to Stray, who besides being skilled ma
chinist, had given proof on several occasions
of unusual GOODNESS and daring. At the X
quest 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 not DESTROYS 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 1.-THE colonel would
see that his family were provided for.
This promise decided Stray, and he conclu-
ded to try to achieve the feat. AT nightfall
he went forth on his perilous GRAND, armed
simply with brace and bits. Straddling the
breech of the monstrous piece, and crouch
ing as low as possible, he piled the drill vigor-
ously. No sooner had he begun to work than
the enemy perceived him, and flash after flash
succeeded from the rife-pits. 1t is one thing
to exhibit prowess amid the clash and rush OF
battle, fired by the contagion of enthusiastic
comrades, and another to brave death singly
and deliberately. Stray could see, as he
worked, the long rifie-pits of the rebels, not
a hundred yards distant, ablaze with the light
of fifty rifles, and feel the wind of their bull
lets as they whistled past him. Occasionally
one struck the cannon, as he noticed by the
peculiar Grip of the impact. Favored partly
by the obscurity and more by good luck, he