Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-04-21
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
BOMBS FULL OF WHISKY.
Why the shells Fired by Certain Unio
Ship Did Not Burst.


Ship Did Not Burst.
Perhaps the most amusing part of the
bombardment of Corpus Christi affair
was the way in which many of the con-
federates obtained a good drink of
whisky. Numbers of the shells did not
explode, enc falling in field belonging
TO an old German, he looked at it long
and covetously Game was plenty,
powder was scarce, and this shell must
have many pounds in its capacious
sphere. How to possess it was the
question. If he tried to drill out the
fuse the bomb might explode, and he
would lose not only the powder Lut his
life Seeing an old darkey approaching,
he hailed him, and with few cents in
duced him to undertake the job. Civ
ing him implements and vessel to hold
the powder, he retired to his house,
fearing an accident and not wishing to
be held accountable. In a short time
the negro appeared: ''Dey amt no pow
der dere, sab; dis am whisky"
The German could hardly believe his
eyes, but it certainly looked like whis-
ky-and it smelt like whisky-but taste
it he would not for it might be poison
ed; still, it was too rare to lose, and
old Joe would not count-he would try
it on him! He poured out good cup
full and gave it with the money to the
Negro. The man drank and smacked
his lips IT'S fine Ticker, boss-Pse
'bliged to you nightly" and he went
off feeling the better for his potation-
1t was strong, for he was soon drunk
as lord" After a sleep he woke to
tell the story of his discovery, with the
effect that there was an immediate
search for bombs; ten were opened, and
the contents helped to make convivial
the celebration of the worsting of the
fleet.
Later events brought the explanation
of how the United States came to use
the whisky as ammunition instead of
powder.
Flower Bluff fifteen miles from
Corpus" as the town is called for
short" is a great hunting ground, and
during the war, as now, people resorted
here for that PROFESSIONALLY Capt.
Kitredge of the United States navy
Southern troops were too few to spare
then for unimportant points, so he
could with impunity sail around the
bay at pleasure, land at the bluff, and
there hunt, and buy butter, milk and
eggs from an old farmer who lived
there. This he did nearly every other
day, until at last the man anne to town
for supplies and told how the captain
patronized him. Wares cavalry at once
proceeded there, hid their horses in the
n -, r. l.
and when Kitredge and seven men
landed they took them prisoners. They
also attempted to capture the steam
launch and three men who manned it,
but these escaped back to the fleet with
the news The prisoners were taken to
Corpus Christi and were given the free
dom of the town. Col. Hobby allowed
Capt. Kitredge to send boat to his
flagship and procure all the Injuries
he desired Once when these two were
taking dinner together and enjoying
some of the northerner's fine liquor, the
southern commander told the tale of the
whisky in the bombs
Kitredge listened attentively and
then laughed long and merrily. 81 can
account, said he, 'for the milk in the
cocoanut-or, rather, the whisky in the
shell Some little time before the
bonn bardment barrel of my best
Bourbon disappeared. could find no
trace of il, yet regularly after waite
the men were found to be smelling of
liquor. No one knew where it came
from, how they got it where they kept
it; but liquor they had, that was sure.
You have given me the explanation;
they must have drawn the charges
from the shells that were piled on deck
and filed them with the stuff, drinking
i. when on watch. Evidently their
store was not exhausted when l used
the shells l now comprehend why
they would not explode-a fact which
puzzled me at the time"
There is still one of these shells in
Corpus Christi, and the gentleman
through whose house it fell keeps it,
unopened, as a relic of the days when
the town was under fire. Frank Les
lies Weekly.