Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-05
The URy the Percussion Caps Came 10
yfckSbufg.

Thi, is the time when the history which
wa, made twenty Years ago is beng writ
ten. The hurrying YEAR have carried III
fsr enough from that tumultdouS era o!
battle aud siege TO afford reasonable per-
,pCctiVe through which To view its events.
sud every veteran who bore mu,ket or
sword in the strife now SeiZe~ the pen u
record the little group OF events which
came under his own observation. This l.
a. It should be-, for a. the great ISSUES OF
victory or defeat were but the sum OF IN
diyidUal deeds. so their history should De
the sum Of individual testimony.
G. NJ. Has,ingcr. OF NicksbTg. himself
q onc-armcd veteran OF Lees army. tells
ior ,hc first time the story OF how Nicks-
burg Wa supplied with pcrcn>sion-'ap>-a
story that not only illustrates the GOODNESS
and daring 81 Private Williams. bat casts
a sinister ray Of lsh, on a STATE OF affairs
which men who were IN command arc nQ'
anxious 10 have revealed,
Wien the lines had beer closed about
NiCksburg. and the enemy's eunbolt we're
anchored IN the Mississippi, above aud be-
low Tie city, il was all at once discovered
that not only was the supply OF provisions
very Iacagre, but the stock OF percussion
caps was almost exhausted. Comment upon
such negligence l. useless nov. Let us say
IL was fate; still it j. impossible not TO re-
fcct bow different might have been tue
result had more attention been PAID 10
such minor matters 4, The provisioning anu
supplying with ammunition Of points
whose position rendered 4 sle$e clearly
inevitable.
Here. az Yick,burg, TO quote MI HISS
singers own word. thousands OF bush
el. 81 corn aud sweet potatoes, brought
from he Red river country by steamboats,
were lett without shelter OF cover, u rotor
the river front" while hundreds Of mules
stood idle aud scores VI building were
empty.
whether the people were fed o. not
however, gun.cap> must be had. ~ JACK.
ION. Miss, was abundance Of all kinds oil
military stores. and the river was de ;ided
Ia hc the only avenue 10y which a mes,en-
ger could possibly so and return. Even
here the difficulties were great, but II WIS
thought a very small boat might drht doNn
through the fleet under cover Of moon
les night, without detection. hr. hls-
singer had boat which seemed ddlnraDiS
adapted for the purpose, sueHt aii =,
consisting Of canvas stretched over ilsht
wooden frame and rendered water-tlghl
~ the application Of Narnish. and one day
an orderly presented himself armed WIN 4
written order for the delivery Of this prop
ertv 10 parties who would call for II.
soon after two soldiers called upon hun.
.tsiinc that thew were the pqrtlrs referred
10 IN the order, aud that they were ready
IL make their venture ~ once, II the boat
would carry them. They we're one VII
li.,,s prlyate, aud Hill. lieutenant. and
me ,ir.t was charged with the duty OF
brin1ng the caps through the lines, whil'
fine last-nalned carried dispatches irou
pcmLerton 10 Johnston.
A. soon a. night came on, says VIZ
Has,inger. I'VE look the little crht u
weighed only thirty pounds down 10 th'
river at the foot Of Clay street. One no
t,.ed 10 tbst boat, or dHgou'' couiu OILY
oct into IL by very caTeiuI nah"uNIinS' "
C-.,.c il would tip over a. eSs' as water
bucket" ,t..,t, ,. -,
WILLIAMS. who announced himself as al
old :, swamper." took the paddle. ahd aitc
sfew turus I'D and down near tne sno'
declared himself ready 10 proceed WIN
God-speed from their companion on u"
hsnk they glded away in the darhheS>'
n, vas Two weeks before Iassinger sa'
William, again. Then he came 10 zee MN
and related 10 him the story OF the eNpeu
don. Living AIT In the little boat "p,o
Nos only fourteen feet long by two ann
hsn Wide. With a depth Of eight lncoe
tbe TWO men had dfffted uuperceived pa
,he enemy'. fret. Al tbe foot OF Disnoii
iJ,nd. about twenty miles below WICK
Ln,o The, had brought their boat TO lan'
md nullipe n up into the woods, sci OF
ON foot by devious WAYS for Jackson.
Wha,eyeY adventures befeiI them by u
uav thew reached their destination |
..Isiy. and each went about the execute
Of he errand upon which he had bee
sert. Williams procured the caps, and r
inrned 10 the river uuder cavalry escor
coming out upon I. vi point niteen m'i'