The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-09-01
JUDGE TERRY

JUDGE SARAH HILL
ton. In front of these hills the picket lines
were not more than three or four hundred
yards apart and the firing between the bel
ligerents was both incesSant and spiteful.
At the period referred TO, a company of
the Washington artillery, of New Orleans,
one of the crack military organizations of
the south, was on duty at Falls Church, be-
ing stationed there to hold in check any ad-
vance that might be attempted in force.
Among the officers of this command was
Lieut. NOW GEN. Rosser, of Texas and their
quarters, always Astounding in hosp tality,
were the favorite resort of scores of Yolun-
teers who preferred to do independent duty
as scouts and sharpshooters. Most of the lat
ter were wealthy planters or professional
men past middle age, splendid shots, hunters
from boyhood, accustomed to woodcraft
and equipped with the best weapons. Each
was attended by two or three servants who
looked after the supplies They roughed it
like common soldiers, yet easily found mess
at any OF the army headquarters. This out
post duty, especially when any firing was in
progress, they regarded as so much sport
that afforded them the opportunity OF test
ing the quality of their rifles
CLOSE VIEW OF TERRY.
One day Rosser galloped into Fairfax
Court House, and by his invitation, within an
hour special party was made up to visit
the front and have a good time generally
with the Louisiana boys. 1t consisted of
Col Terry, Ex-Governor Lubbock, a Col
Martin, of Mississippi, and brother of Sen
ator Mason, of Virginia tof Mason and Sill
dell fame, farmer like man of 55, whose
plantation was not many miles distant and
who knew every foot of ground between his
home and Washington city. All were
dressed in citizens or hunting Clothes but
the one whose figure impressed me at the
time as being that of born fighter was Col.
Terry Muscular, heavy bearded, with
keen, fearless eyes, and every line of his face
expressive of resolution; not a laxative
man, yet gentle in speech, there was that
something indeScribable about him which in
vited confidence and made others look up to
him as leader.
After spending an hour or two in the camp
of the Washington artillery the party moved
on to Munson's Hill, then a favorite point Of
observation, in front of which good deal of
hot work was done by the pickets on both
sides The latter were concealed in thickets
of pine, or in the corn, behind the fences Of
the fields, but an intervening open space en-
abled each to clearly see the other whenever
the least exposure of the person was made
There were several houses, too, from which
both lines of pickets occasionally tried their
skill, but for the most part the men kept their
posts and took the chances in the open. Fire
quently various stratagems were employed to
draw the fire of an adversary, for there were
excellent sharpshooters among the FederalS
as well as among the Confederates, but in the
main the damage was trihing.
UNDER FIRE.
It was this proximity TO danger however;
this opportunity of looking upon men DELHI
erately sighting each other as they would a
deer and shooting TO kill; this listening to the
Zip" Of bullet as it few through the air, or
the sullen sug of one as it struck the earth in
your neighborhood, and then tracing the
Inarksman by the little white puff of smoke
rising from yonder thicket that made the
spot strangely attractive and invested the
death dealing sport with fascination, especial
" to the independent fighter who could trust
his rife.
It may be mentioned parenthetically that
the weapons in the hands of the Confederates
at this time were chiefly smoothbore guns
that we're useless for long range firing. One
afternoon several of the Union pickets OBJ
serving that the bullets struck only the
ground in front of them, and were compare
lively harmless, boldly came out of their hid
ing places and began jeering the Johnny
Rebs" in a manner that made them feel de-
cidedly uncomfortable Unable to endure
these taunts, some of the Confederates went
20 the rear to borrow two or three Enfield
rifles Half dozen Of the Independent scouts
accor'- ,a::icl them on their return, and
auie. Ealing through the field the party
opened fire with their improved guns, killed
and wounded several of the pickets and drove
the remainder under cover. The pickets after
that were more careful.
TERRY AS A SHARPsHooTER
But to return to the incident IN hand.
While the little group watched from thecrest
Of the hin the progress of affairs in the distant
fields, it was noticed that at particular
point Federal sharpshooter was making
things lively for every one that showed HIM
self in his front. Mr.. Mason proposed to go
down, take possession of the cupola Of a house
some hundreds of yards distant, where he
could secure a commanding aim, and en-
deavor to silence or dislodge the man from
that point; but Col. Terry, sitter a few Gues-