Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-04-23
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
CALIFORNIA JOE.
The Deadly Work of a Union Sharpshooter
At the Battle of Yorktown.

served IN the army OF the IOtOnacs bhdt
has not heard of California Joe, the
most celebrated marksman of Berdan's
sharpshoOters, all of whom were
phenomenal marksmen. 1t must be re-
membered that this picked regiment
was composed only of the most expert
rifiemen in this country, and the sub
iect of this article, Truman Head, of
Co. h, was the best in the regiment.
Truman Head was little, thin man,
Of SO years Of age, in 1861. with long
black, silken hair, curling in rich pro
fusion about a pair OF shoulders whose
stoOp showed the decline of life. His
face beamed with intelligence and hui
mainly. and his voice was soft and gen
tie as a woman's while detailing To the
writer how he found it necessary while
in the performance of his duty to pick
off, some rebel officer or gunner
For some days previous 10 the final
contest at Yorktown. in 1862, Gen. Nc
Clellan had watched with much ankle
ty. an enormous rifed cannon being
placed in such position by the enemy,
as 10 sweep away any force that might
bee brought against il. Satisfying him
self that he could bring no piece to bear
upon il which would be sufficiently
heavy 10 silence il, he sent orders to
Col. Berdan to detail "A squad of his
most expert rifemen TO pick off any of
the enemy who should attempt to work
this mOnstrous instrument of death.
The colonel Immediately sent for Cali
fornia Joe, and three others to whom
l. Il, "a. 1t 4
and gave them the privilege of de-
ching if they were afraid, for a
sharpshooter becomes utterly USE
less if not entirely devoid of fear
All four, however, true and tried men
as they were, were pnly too glad of the
honor thus conferred upon them and
signified their readiness to move TO the
front at any moment. That night, near
~ o'clock, the devoted four, led by Joe.
and well supplied with provisions and
ammunition, took their departure from
camp and marched over towards the
enemy's bristling batteries At about
the distance OF nine hundred yards from
the latter they halted. and, with the u
most caution and silence, dug four rife
pits, each one some forty or fifty yards
from the others. In these they lay
quiet until after daylight, when, at an
early hour, the dull booming of a gun
some distance to the left told them the
strife was about to commence Our
hero was instantly on the alert, and rails
ing his powerful telescope to his eye,
he narrowly scanned the vicinity in
which was the gun, over which he and
his companions were TO keep watch.
AS he did SO, he caught sight of a rebel
cannonier, cautiously advancing with
swab hammer 10 clean out the piece
preparatory to its being loaded Fearful
of our sharpshooters the rebel had divest-
ed himself Of everything that might
serve as a mark with the exception of
the brass ornament on the front of his
cap, This was Il fatal want of fore
sight. for the next instant Joe had his
deadly rifle leveled directly at the orna.
ment and was about to pull the trigger
when n second thought struck him.
Still keeping bead" drawn on the
doomed man, he allowed him to creep
forward, raise the rammer, push it into
the gun. and then, as he was
about TO withdraw it, Joe touched the
trigger, and the first victim OF York
town fell pierced directly through ths
brain. OF Course the ralnmer remained
in the gun, and rendered it useless until
it could be withdrawn With a deter
mination and valor worthy much bet
ter cause, man after man stepped for
ward to make the attempt, but without
+
of his companions scaled the rash act
with death.
"Oh, sir, said Joe, while narrating
the circumstance, my heart grew sick
with such work Toward the latter
part Of the battle, my three compan-
ions We're killed by rebel sharpshooters,
and alone was left to continue the
work of death. | had kept by me
pine stick. on which / cut a notch each
time | fired. This stick | filled and
cast away, after counting ffty-nine
notches.
But. perhaps" we suggested, your
ball did not strike its object each time p"
II never miss. sir. " was the reply, ut
tered in tones of pity and sorrow,
rather than pride or exultation. Since
morning" continued Joe. after pause,
II had taken no refreshments, and be-
ginning to feel the want of it, ! was
obliged to cease firing. While eating,
cast occasional chances over at the big
gun, which the rebels had managed,
little by little. to load since the death
of my companions. Suddenly | saw a
soldier grasp the lanyard, and In an in
slant, dropping my cracker and morsel
of meat, | instantly leveled my rifle at
him and pulled. He fell, but as he went
down, he jerked the lanyard. The next
instant terrific explosion took place,
and the enormous cannon, torn into
fragments by the conclusion, went fly
ing high in the air My task was over,
and as the shades of night began to fall,
made my way back to our lines,
thankful that my life had been spared
me. '-Coopers Coffee Cooler.
JUNGLE BILLY"
.'Old Abe's" Opinion of Him as Given "a