San Saba County news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1874-19??, 1892-10-28

US. There was only one spot where they
could plant the guns to get the proper
elevation on US, and that was just OPP
posite the north centre of the fort, on q
little plateau forty feet above the travelled
trail. During the day we backed this
wall with other blocks of stone, and
made it as secure as circumstances would
permit, and when night came the enemy
had fired 5000 bullets q. us without IN
ficting the least damage. We hadn't
the lumber to build platforms around the
walls, but we had sufficient to build
three lookout stations at three corners,
and there sentiuels took their stations
when darkness fell. What we feared
was a night attack with scaling ladders,
and that was exactly what they were
planning for. Instead of taking time to
make ladders, however, they made a
rush on US about 1 o'clock in the morn
ing with detail of men, carrying long
poles to rest against the walls the
sentinels gave us timely notice, and,
standing on blocks of stone so as to
bring US nearer the enemy as he showed
up on top the wall, we tumbled him off
with bullet and bayonet so rapidly that
he drew off in great confusion.
That attack was a good thing for Us.
The enemy gave US credit for three times
our actual strength, and therefore de-
cided to move with more caution in the
future, and it gave US the idea that our
position could be defended gainst big
odds. During the next day the Afghans
kept up a slow and irregular fire against
us, simply wasting their lead, and all the
men, except those on necessary duty,
were permitted to sleep. When night
came again we discovered the cause of
their apathy. We plainly heard them
clearing away the small trees on the
plateau and using the spade, and knew
that they were gong to plant artillery to
use against US. The artillery branch of
the Ameer's service was very weak, the
guns being of light calibre and the am
munition generally poor, but no one
could doubt that if a gun or two was
got to bear on us, and the enemy would
keep pegging away, the shot and shell
would in time effect breach.
We had above 5000 rounds of cart
ridges, as our slaughtered comrades had
left quarters of their store behind
them, and the Sergeant ordered US to
man the ten portfolios on that side and
keep up a steady fire on the plateau. 1t
was firing at random in the darkness,
but we doubtless knocked some of them
over, and quite certainly delayed the
work. When morning came we could
see that they had cleared the ground aud
begun to throw up a small fort to hold
the guns. Our fire had driven them off
During the day they made bullet-proof
screens of boughs and mats, and paid us
but little attention. When night fell
they set up their screens and worked be-
hind them, and though our fire might
have inflicted some slight loss, it did not
prevent them from getting two guns in
position. They had an earthwork six
feet high to protect the gunners, and as
the Sergeant looked out and saw what
had been done, he grimly said;
"Well, We shall have a few days less
to live
While we were at breakfast the guns
opened fire with solid shot. They were
only forty rods away, and yet the gun
merry was so poor that the first nine shots
we're thrown AWAY. When they began
TO strike, however, VIC realized the dam
age they might infict. The stones were
but little harder than sandstone, and
while too heavy to be hurled down, the
faxed and crnmbled under the impact
We manned the portfolios and fred at
the embrazuIes, and in this way we
checked, though We could not silence,
the fire. They got the guns trained o.
one particular spot, and before night
came we knew that they could breach us
in two days more. As darkness closed
in their fire was suspended: They could
see the progress they had made, and there
was no need of hurry.
We had with US a native born Yankee,
and early in the evening we noticed him
overhauling the piles of poles we had
dragged in for frewood. He at length
selected out four or five, which had all
the spring of American hickory, and
then unfolded his idea to the Sergeant.
1t was simple enough, but no one but a
Yankee would have ever thought of it.
We first laid five short poles on the
ground and pinned them fast. Then,
three feet in rear of them we elevated
five other short poles about two feet from
the ground on crotches. When the end
of long pole was put over one of these
and rested against the one on the ground,
we had what would have been spring
board, if there had been any board about
it. We then nailed box covers to the
other ends of the poles, made ropes fast
to bend EN- down, and We had principle
made use of in war 1900 years ago.
In an hour We had the five ready and
playing away, there being plenty of
broken stone in the fort for ammunition.
There was spring enough to the poles to
throw tive-pound stone sixty rods, and
we heard sounds to prove that we drove
the enemy from u dozen different posi-
tons during the night.
The guns opened on us early in the
and then a funny thing took
place. 1t may seem almost absurd TO
you, but I'm giving you only what was
reported when say that with
our five spring guns, as you might call
'em, we actually drove the gunners out
of that redoubt and silenced their fire.
after little practice we would get just
the right spring to send the stone soaring
away like a bomb, to fall upon their
uncovered heads. A jagged stone.
weighing from one TO five pounds, and
falling from a height of fifty or sixty
feet, is not to be despised. They tried
to get a shelter over them, but with our
nusketry fire at the embrasures, and our
rocks dropping from above. they had to
desert the redoubt Whenever we found
a body of the enemy sheltered by rock or
thicket to fire on US we trained our
Yankee inventions on them, and they
had to withdraw.
After the failure of the artillery to
breach the walls the Afghans sat down to
starve US out. The idea was to wear us
out as well, and fire of musketry was
maintained day and night. They
probably didn't expect to do any great
harm by this fire, but they knew it would
keep us on the alert aud annoy and