The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-04-14
The First Hostile Shot in Virginia.

The New York Times tells story re-
lated by a veteran of the war, as follows:
There has been good deal written
and said about the first hostile shot in
the war of the rebellion after the firing
on Sumter. don't think the story has
ever been correctly told, and if you care
to hear it will tell it, and apropos, it
also illustrates the power of tobacco. |
was the colonel commanding the first
accommodating force that left Washing
ton. We had reached Conrad's Ferry,
a short distance up the Potomac, and
everything was going on smoothly. Up
to this time the service had been a pic
mic, and nothing out of the monot-
onous routine of drilling and preparation
had occurred. All the talk when actual
fighting was expected was of masked
batteries. We had reached the village
common, and gathered about were
the residents of the place, including the
chief official of the hamlet. Suddenly
from the river bank came the dull boom
of cannon, followed by the sharp
rattle of musketry. Before the echoes
had died away a young officer, his face
all aflame with excitement, came dash
ing down the street, and, as he reined
up his horse and gave the salute, he
gasped: Colonel, masked battery
has opened fre!' l had seen a good
deal of service on the frontier and in
Mexico, so | was not Hurried, and made
up my mind to show an example Of cool
ness. Taking cigarette from my case
those were the days when few were
smoked-I rolled it into shape, and
bending over the neck of my horse said:
Lieutenant, can you oblige me with
match?' He looked surprised, and then
with great gravity fished match out of
his pocket, with which l lighted the fra
grant roll, and then asked him to finish
his report. The effect was remark
able. My staff and the other officers
gathered about-nOne of whom had seen
service-cOncluded that a masked bat
terry didn't amount to much, and thus
the influence of tobacco formed an es-
sential part of their first real lesson
in warfare. Subsequent investigation
showed that the shots which had so dis
turbed the young officer were from our
own guns firing at an imaginary enemy.
However, the first hostile shot in the
field was fired that day, though / am
getting at it rather slowly. When /
had heard the young officer through /
cantered toward the river to the ford, ,
and saw at once that no attempt had
been made by our rebel friends to cross.
/ stationed the sentries in twos, and
gave strict orders that no one should
pass without giving the countersign
This may seem queer now, but remem-
Der there had been no active service,
and the men were green. The line of
sentries ran all along the river bank,
and, knowing there was a second ford
above, | determined to walk up the
stream and make a reconnaissance on
my own hook. AS l told you before, |
had been a good while on the frontier,
and had learned considerable woodcraft
from the Indians. There was mufled
sound in the air, and l did Just as the
Indians had taught me years before
bent over and placed my ear as near the
water as | could, and then plainly made
out across the river the rumbling of ar
tillery. | had just Strengthened up
again to hurry off to my main body
when from the bank above came the
sharp order, Halt, there' Looking
up | saw in the firing attitude one of
my sentries from New Hampshire
regiment. With his rifle pointed di-
rectly at me, he clambered down the
bank, and when he got near me cried
out, Now, what are you doing here?'
gave the proper countersign, but still
the sentry kept me at bay. Il don't
think shall let you go even with the
words he said, and, hastily calling
another sentry to keep watch upon me,
he bent over me and carefully felt over
my trousers and boots, to see if | had
not forded the river. / mention this to
show how the characteristic cuteness of