The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-08-10
ArreR rwEHry.sist YEARS
A Confederate Commander strangely
Learns the Result Of a Clever Shot

A Confederate Commander strangely
Learns the Result, Of Clever shot
When the Washington Artillery vasI
al Morgan City on the Fourth OF Jolly
there we're many striking incidents that
Strung out u the ceremonies at dcdi.
eating toit Star and OF pfacticing with
solid shot The whole day the war
and It's memories were kept before the
people, but It was not tcawakcning m
which the bloody shirt had any play,
but more of a thoughtful retrospectlon,
in which the recalling OF battles was
not with bitterness, but with an Impair
tial sadness. Among all the happen
ings Of the day none were more sin.
gular aud noteworthy than one which
occurred to Colonel Richardson, the
commander OF the battalion.
1t was during the time when the
batteries were firing shell at the two
targets, which looked like tiny hand
kerchlefs on the water, they were so
fat away, A good shot was fired, and
the spectators were applaudlng the
excellent craftsmanship, and the Colo
mel stepped up to the gun to commend
the gunner, when, without cause OF
without knowing why, the memory Of
a similar shot which had been fred
twenty nine years ago, almost to the
very day, flashed into his mind, when
he had stepped up to the gunner and
complmented him in much the same
style.
1t was when he was in Fort Malone
at the siege Of Petersburg, which was
known as Fort "Damnation," when the
shot twenty-nine years before had been
fired, and the Fourth of July was
almost the anniversary of the very day,
Instead of white targets for mark it
had been the tops of two Sibley tents,
which peeped over the ramparts OF
Fort "Hell," just opposite Fort Dam
nation" They were the tents of the
Federal officers He knew that from
a deserter who had informed him, also
that the officers of the whole command
held a daily consultation there, and
that he could tell the time from the
fact that they hitched their horses
around the tents Colonel Richardson
was then captain in the Washington
Artillery, and he conceived the idea OF
scoring a point on the Federals by firing
on the tents just at the time of the
daily consultation. He selected the
best gunner in his command and told
him what he wanted him to do, and
that was to load and prepare the guns
for a special shot which he was going
to direct them to make the ensuing
day. The young Captain was sure
that he had gunners he could depend
upon, and to make his triumph com
plete he asked General Malone to be
present when the shots were to b,
fired.
1t was noon the next day when The
horses of the Federal officers were seer
collected around the two tents. The
gunners were told to train their gun
upon them and to be certain to max,
made the center of the interest Of those
in Fort "Damnation" for that day, 70
the word was passed around that The
destruction of the officers tents was t,
be attempted.
After a deal of preliminary arrange
ments the two shots were fired and thu
tops of the two Sibley tents disappeared
like card houses in a gale Of wind
The success of the shots was the sigma
for cheering on the part of the Cor
federates. General Malone compl
mented the accuracy of the artillerymer
and it was then that the captain steppe,
TO the gunner and expressed his appro
baton IN much the same way that h
used to the one that had made tn
good shot at Morgan City. But Their
had always been tinge of dssatisfac
ton about that shot at the Feders
tents, and that was that he had neve
ascertained whether any one had bee
hurt in the tents, and for the twenty
nine intervening years that one though
had pervaded the whole incident.
With these thoughts in his min
Colonel Richardson turned away fror
the gunner at Morgan City, and at tn;
moment one Of Morgan City's prom
nent citizens, Mr.. Gray, stepped to tn
ColonePs side and said:
"Isn't this Colonel Richardson"
"Yes."
"Well, | have been waiting to met
you for many years, ever since | hear
you had been in Fort 'Damnation' ;
the same time that was in Fo
HELL
"In July, 1864, in fact, just twent.
nine years ago today" answered M
Gray.
The Colonel instantly thought
these two shots, and wondered if h
curiosity was to be satisfied. "Do yo
remember a day while you were opp'
site me in Fort Hell when the ten
of the officers were taken down by tw
shots which were almost instantaneous
The stranger did not reply for fl
minute, A shadow seemed to fall ov
him, his eyes grew dark, and he steppt
l. L.. Il L Il. 4 - - "a.