The morning call., 1891-01-02
AN INCIDENT
OF VICKSBURG.
Remarkable Exploit of Con.
federate Officer.
How the Southern Fortress Was Supplied With
.Gun-Caps at a Critical Moment
During Its Siege.

week IN and week out at Vicksb urg In May,
1868, little did each commander on the last
week In that month know how much was
just then depending on one lone but daring
pilgrim, humble officer, unknown to fame
save as the author Of a popular war song,
who was making his perilous journey thither
from Jackson. Miss.
Penn berton was in desperate plight, but
Grant knew it not, else that famous strong
hold might have succumbed to the Union
forces much sooner than that fateful day
when Union stars displaced the Southern
bars above its frowning cannon-torn ram
parts, and when in the East Lees army was
in full retreat from the red field of Gettys-
burg.
And this was Pemberton's strait, says
Charles o. Stickney in the New York Press.
He was entirely out of guu-caps, and conse-
quently was unable. TO fire gun. Grant,
not knowing his enemy's helplessness, pru-
IDENTIFY continued his gradual approaches
instead of attempting to carry Vicks burg
by storm.
But of the lone pilgrim each was in utter
ignorance. This pilgrim was Major Lamar
Fontaine of Mississippi, afterward famous
throughout the South for this brilliant ex-
plot of which l am about to speak. and also
as the author of the touching and popular
war song, "All Quiet Along the Potomac
Tonight"
From recent interesting correspondence
between Fontaine and General Charles z.
Nattocks OF Portland, a most gallant officer
of the Seventeenth Maine Infantry, who
came near being exchanged for Font6ine in
1864, | give the subjeined authentic and
deeply interesting narrative of one of the
most thrilling personal experiences in the
late war:
On the morning of May "a, 1868. Fontaine,
Still suffering from unhealed wounds, started
from General Lorins's headquarters at Jack
son, Miss., on his perilous journey TO NlckS-
burg. He was mounted on suitable horse,
on which was fastened, besides his two
crutches, a pair Of saddle bags, containing
oiled Waterproof sacks filled With gun-caps,
and he also bore dispatches for General
Pemberton.
st his fathers, fifteen miles out of jack
son, he ate hearty meal; his haversack
was packed and his pistols and sword put in .
excellent order, and with n feryent god
speed and adieu from his father and the
other members of the family, he remounted
his horse and rode swiftly away in the
direction Of CoX's Ferry, on the Big Black
River.
Crossing that river soon after nightfall,
he halted till morning at the house of a
citizen, where LIE wa S Hospitality entertained
and further provided With lot Of lint and
meal he again mounte and set forward.
Just before reaching til, Bear Gre Elk road
that leads from Merchandising in YaZoo
County TO Ficksburg,
HE HEARD HEAVY FIRING
tin the direction of Mechanicsburg Riding
slowly forward until he could hear voices,
the rumble of wheels and the tramp of
horses, he dismOunted and concealed his
horse.
He then crept close to the road and dis
covered a force of blue coats hurrying for
ward in the direction of the firing He hid
himself and watched the maneuveTing for
long time.
He soon found that the sounds of the bat
tie were growing nearer, and presently the
blue coats began to fall back, and tho am
balances went hurrying by with the
wounded, and in a few hours all was still.
Fontaine's position lay between the two
armies, and so he did not stir till night.
Then he mounted his horse and rode eau
tiously forward till he reached the road.
He turned down the road in the direction
rode on in the gloomy silence tor some time.
Suddenly q sharp Haiti rang out on the
night air., and almost instantly there was
blaze OF light and crash of musketry, and
the balls whzzed past him.
He turned at right angles to the westward
hoas sgE ing sd bis SPURS into the TANKS of his
and brush, while shower alter shower Of
bullets followed him, fired by the Federal
pickets. He lost his hayefsaek of food.
the strap being cut by a ball, and also one
oil MS crntches, the TOP and shaft shot
away, but he was not touched by single
bullet.
Continui ne his course westward, daylight
found him on the top of a high hill over
LOOKING The valley of the YaZoo River. Far
TO the south he saw large mass of blue
coats, but more to the north, and only a
dense forest beyond the field in front of
MN to the east. He rode slowly down the
MIL and made for the woods at the back of
the field.
This he soon reached, and as he came to
the back fence at the woods his horse sank
down with scarcely a CULVER He got from
the saddle, and the next minute his brave
steed was dead. The animal had been NOR
tally wounded by one Of the sentries' bull
lets.
Fontaine's feelings at this disheartening
turn Of affairs may be imagined But he
was not the kind of a man to turn back from
anything he had once undertaken. Here ne
was alone in the enemy's country with
heavy load of caps, a broken crutch and a
stiff and wounded leg, scarcely able to raise
himself out of the mud.
Fontalne laid the sack Of caps across his
shoulders and slowly erawled into the wood
and came to the bank Of a stream short
way In. He deposited the caps on the bank
and with his sword cut forked stick and
used 1t in place Of the shot-away crutch
with the aid oil one crutCh and this stick he
made his way down the stream In search of
two 'Choctaw" logs, or old rotten logs well
honeycombed and full of air cells which he
could fasten together with his bride reinS
and use as q raft.
Better than these he found small dug
OUT moOred to the banks 1t was only nine
or ten feet long and quite narrow. Into this
he got, padded back up the stream to where
he had lett the caps, put them on board and
started down the current.
Dangers now fell upon him thick and fast
He soon reached broad river, which proved
TO be the 1aZ0o, and as he came into it he
could see several large ironclad gun-boats
coming up 1t and small tug-boat in front.
He at once made for the opposite shore.
where the brush was dense, but
THE FEDERALs SAW HIM
And opened fire upon him. He paid no at
tention. but padded with all his might.
Shot after shot followed him into the
brush, and now they lowered a large row.
boat and put after him, at the same time
keeping up musket and pistol fusillade
The balls came very near, but the smalness
of his craft gave him the advantage in the
woods, and though nearly oyertaken on
reaching open water again. their shots splash
ing the water on him, he succeeded in escap-
ing.
But where was he? To him the Topography
was new. Besides, the most of the country
thereabout was under water from the over
flow OF the Mississippi So he just let his
he was west of the Yazoo River and east of
the Mississippi, and that by taking a south
course lie would come into one of these
streams, and by floating down it he wu uld
get to Vicksburg, and the cannonading told
where that city was
After drifting with the slow tide of the
overflow until night, he padded to the east
and soon reached the Yazoo River, near
Haynes Bluff, and turning down was soon
In full view OF the campfire of the Federals
at what had been the Notifications of the
Confederates.
As he tioated past the frowning heights
grand ball was In progress. Hundreds of
red, white and blue lanterns cleaned upon
the waters and the music of the bands, the
laughter Of the men and the dtsky damsels
lent magic TO the scene, and ut the same
time rendered his position very dangerous.
Boats were passing from the water batter
les on the west side OF the river laden with
human freight going to join in the revels on
the bluif on the east side, and he had to
float between these llapac Ha Law 5n,rp