The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-25
BoMBs FULL OF Whisky.
Why the Shells Fired by a Certain
Union Ship Did Not Burst.

w nv L10 Sn6llb EAAOh ~
Union Ship Did Not Burst.
From Frank Leslie's Weekly.
Perhaps the most amusing part OF the
bombardment of Corpus Christi affair was
the way In which many Of the confederates
obtained good drink of whisky. Numbers
sof the shells did not explode, one falling In
a field belonging to an old German; he
looked at it long and covetously. Game was
plenty, powder was scarce, and this smell
must have many pounds in its capactous
sphere How to possess it was the ques-
ton. If he tried TO drill out the fuse
the bomb might explode, and he would lose
not only the powder but his life Seeing an
old darby approaching. he hailed him and
with a few cents induced him TO undertake
the job. Giving him implements and a
vessel to hold the DO wder he retired to his
house. fearing an accident and not wishing
to be held accountable. In short time the
negro appeared: "Dey amt no powder dere,
sab; dis am whisky"
The German could hardly believe bis
eyos, but it certainly looked like whisky
and it smet like whisky-but taste It he
would not, for it might be poisoned; still, it
was too rare to lose and-old Joe woald not
count--he would try it on himi He poured
out good cupful aud gave IL with the
money to the negro The man drank and
smacked his lips. Oats ine lickeF, boss;
Use 'bllged to you, nightly" and ne went
off feeling the better for his potatiop. Ii
was strong, for be was soon drunk as q
lord" After a sleep be awoke to tell the
story of his discovery. with the effect that
there was an immediate search for bombs;
ten were opened aud the contents helped 10
make convivial the celebration of the worst
ing OF the fleet.
Later events brought the explanation OF
| how the United States came to use whisky
as ammunition instead Of powder.
Flower Bluff, fifteen miles from "Cor-
pus," as the town is called "for short" Is a
great hunting ground. and during the war.
| as now, people resorted here for that pur-
pose-notaOly Capt. Kitredge of the United
States navy. Southern troops were too
few to spare them for unimportant points,
| so he could with IMMUNITY sail around the
| bay at pleasure, land at the bluff, and there
hunt, aud buy butter, milk and eggs from
an old farmer who lived there. This he did
nearly every other day, until at last the man
| came to town for supplies and told how the
| captain patrouized him. Wares cavalry at
once proceeded there, hid their horses in
| the sand hills and themselves in the house,
and when Kitredge and seven men landed
they took them prisoners. They also at
tempted to capture the steam launch and
three men who manned it, but these escaped
back TO the fleet with the news. The pris.
oners were taken to Corpus Christi and
were given the freedom of the town. Col.
Hobby allowed Capt. Kitredge to send a
boat to his flagship aud procure all the lux
uries he desired. Once when these two
were taking dinner together and enjoying
some of the northerners fine liquor, the
southern commander told the tale Of the
whisky In the bombs.
Kitredge listened attentively and then
laughed long and merrily. II can account,
said he, "for the milk in the cocoanut-or.
rather, the whisky in the she'll. Some little
time before the bomhardment a barrel of
my best Bourbon disappeared. could find
no trace Of it, yet regularly after watch the
men were found to be smelling of liquor.
No one knew where il came from, how they
got it, where they kept it; but liquor they
had, that was sure You have given the
explanation; they must have drawn the
charges from the shells that were piled or
deck and filed them with the stuff, drink
ing it when on watch. Evidently theil
store was not exhausted when used the
shells now comprehend why they would
not explode-a fact which puzzled me al
the time"
J There is still one of these shells in Corpus
Christi, and the gentleman through whose
house it fell keeps it, unopened, as relic Of
the days when the town was under fire.