The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-07-13

h'bMt' LIl @poleon, o., for the
lbIMAs Gx(AnNM :, pvowed purpose
NNaA SSS[N$Sof resisting the
-s,.,.2. AVa IS draft of isG5.
sesse ssse'f--s- - s$ytssssx.sas Current report
- ssssDssssz1.'N'+~a s1'' the time ac.
80. Ts:.'os credited it with
defensive fnrce of from 1000 to
1000 men. Its heavy artillery con-
sisted of an old Fourth-of-July cannon
which had been perverted from its
former patriotic course to assist in
| striking terror to the heart of the
ruling dcspots who had the audacity
to demand of that red brush section
its quota men for the suppression of in.
surrection.
The prime mover in the erection and
manning of this formidable defense
was one "Col. (O Cal" w, who had
previously enlisted in the 49, Ohio, but
who had been so seriously indisposcd
on the day of that regiments march
for the Front as to be left behind.
| While he was soon able to attend to
the everyday affairs of life, yet his
health never would admit of his
joining his regiment, and only after
the preparations for the draft were in
| progress, did the full vitality of former
days return to Cal.
1t had really been thought by those
intimate with Cal, that his month or
two of camp life had entirely cooled
his military ardor, which really seems
to have been the case, except so far as
a fixed determination to resist com
/ pulsory measures to enforce his aid in
the suppression of the rebellion.
But on this idea of mans inherent
right to Eight or not to fight" Gal.
grew eloquent and fierce. Mounted
upon a war-like charger, he secured
the adjacent rem brush in quest of kin
dred souls, who, like himself, were
prepared to offer up their lives on the
altar of fight or not theory.
The result was gathering of quite
an army of men who would rather bull
doze the Government than go to war,
and the heroic Cal. was raised to the
post of commander. with the doubtful
title of Colonel. Now "Col." IS
head was a regular enc yclopedia of
military tactics, garnered from-well,
his two months camping'out. for in
stance-and he it was who with all
the pomp and parade of horrible war
and with appropriate military cere-
monies, superintended the erection of
Fort Fizzle."
From the lips of those cognlzant of
all the movements of this gallant (O
band of personal liberty defenders, we
heard from day to day of the vast bod
les of dark faced, determined men who
were taking refuge from the "U. S.
Minions" behind this unhistoric struc-
ture. Great was the CONSERVATION
which the daily news from "Fort Fiz-
zle" spread through settlements even
as remote as Knox county (Which, by
the way, joins Holmes county,. Many
and grave were the predictions as to
local strife. In the meantime, daily
drills, stump speeches, and bloody
predictions were the order at the fort.
"Col. CAL" was in his glory. Hav-
ing lacked the nerve to acquire popu'
larity by staying with his former regi-
as the commander of Fort Fizzle. AS
nctoricty passes current in many places
for popularity, "Col. CAL" was fed on
the fat of the land, II. g., razor rbacked
hogs and would not have been thank
full at all had President Lincoln offer
cd him the post Of Commander-in-
Chief of the Union armies. But all
the while "Col. CAL" was mastering in
his formidable hosts, and arming them
with rifles, shotguns, cheese-knives, ty-
coon and Red-Jacket revolvers. there
was little counter scheme working
up. A few of the loyal citizens of
that neighborhood grew very tired of
the everlasting repetition of bombast
and threats, and in reality the matter
had grown to such proportions that it
was policy to put quietus on "Col.
Cal" and his avengers.
The grand and final display of mill
tary zeal, courage, and prowess took
place one afternoon when solitary
detachment from Co. - of the -
regiment of State Guards stepped of
the train at Napoleon. A few of the
invincibles chanced to be in town, and
in their rapid skedaddle for home, one
of them had the cause of his friends
and fellow-sufferers at heart sufficient.
ly to go by the fort and warn his CON-
rades-in-arms of the prospect. Later
in the day when the soldiers marched
out to see the renowned fort, they
found it abandoned by all except one
poor fellow who had, in carelessly
handling his pistol, shot himself in
the foot, and could not get away; and
from the fact that his late comrades
had not taken time to "bear off the
wounded" he was left at the mercy o.
"Lincoln's dogs" one of whom bound
up his foot and assisted HIM to mount
his horse. SO ends the brief but tragic
history of "FOrt Fiyzle n-R BRITTON