The National tribune., 1889-09-26
AT JACKSON. MISS.
serg't RIdcnour Cleans Out Rebel Picket

Serg't RldenOur Cleans Out Rebel Picket-pOst.
EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: On the 18th
| day of July, 1863 the writer was on tho skirm-
sh line in the left cenker OF the besieginR line
| in front of Jackson, Miss. + We had been much
annoyed by the Confederate sharpshooters and
the Captain ordered me ia take five good men
and proceed down the bed of then dry creek
running east and emptying into Pearl River
| just north of the city, our position being north
west of the city. After posting my men along
| the creek, proceeded further down the stream
and eastward to position in the bend OF the
creek under white-oak tree, which was cover
| ed with q grapevine, where | came in plain
view of tho rebel works. Under the vine-cIad
tree was double stump peculiarly adapted to
my purpose. | then carried the noted five
| chambered Colts rifle, which had been used
with potent effect to persuade enlistments to
| fiji up the 55th H., all the recruits being as
sured that they would be armed with one OF
| the wonderful weapons.
| Watching for mark saw an officer walk
| ing little behind the rifle-pts, and fired ut
him, only, however, to make him hastily dodge
under cover; when directly in front of me, at
| short range, n rebel raised up at the end of q
culvert across dugout and fred in my direc-
! ton. and had nothing to do but take aim and
| lay him out, while TO my left fellow stood up,
| gesticulatiDg contemptuously and shouting
Shoot again." evidently laboring under the
|
| double barreled one, was now unloaded; but
| thus exposed, DO became an easy victim to my
| third shot.
My lurking place was now fully exposed the
| smoke from my gun curling up from the leaves
aud vine on the tree, deceiving thom; they
supposing me to be in the tree instead of safely
| behin nd the bank of the creek with head pro-
| tected by the friendly stump. score OF hos
tile bullets came like angry hornets in search
of me, Kissed through tho grapevine and into
| the oak harmlessly, while fired Is shots with
| fatal effect to the Confederate pickets and
sharpshooters. Those remaining soon grew
prudent, avoided exposing themselves. even to
fire mt the grapevine, and left our pickets In
peace.
At noon on tho 14th truce was declared for
the burial of those slain on the 18th in charge
on our right, and the pickets in our front
stacked arms met each other halfway, and
| fraterniZed for three or four hours. Each side
had very important news to impart to the
other, inasmuch as tho account of Meade
great victory over Lee and the destruction oil
| the Confederate army at Gettysburg had just
reached US, while our opponents had recent adj
vices of Lees great victory over Meade Mt the
same place and the annihilation OF the Union
army, both occurring on the day of the sur
render of Vcksburg. As neither could be ex.
pected wholly to distrust their sources of in
formation this subject had TO subside awaiting
later adflcca. no Johnnies as usual, hhu
their rough aud ready rej0iuders, as: We'll
die in the last ditch before we'll surrender
" You-'uns can't ever conquer we-'un Why
don't you take Richmond"
A little before the hour that was TO end the
truce rebel Colonel came out TO the front among
the men, clad in coat bcroft of most of its tail
He called attention TO this. explaining that the
missing cloth had been carried away by sho
from our artillery, and asked his Yankee au
ditors il any of them could boast a closer cal
than that. After hearing much wOndermcn
expressed at his escape, 90" said he, " ] forgo
TO mention that when this coat was thus cur
tailed, it hung not on me, but on u tree!"
After the uproar of the ha.ha's that greeted
this cheap sally had subsidized. the same Officer
asked, WHO was that last Saturday in the oal
covered with grapovines yonderf He cleaned
out whole pieket-post for me, killing ant
wounding several mon"
THAT was Serg't Ridenonr, Of the 55th III.
with his revolving riae he is n crack shot,
was tho reply.
We'll. I'd like to mako tho Sergeant's &C
quantancc after the war;
Ordering his men back b their places in
brief time the jovial gossips had become yiRi
liant foemen again, doing their best 10 take eacl
others lives.
Now, who was the Colonel, aud Is he We
alive? II so his name aud postoiiice address i
desired by-JoHS Il. RfDESouR, Captain, Co
| A, 55th ILL.,, Woodruff ILL.,,