Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-09-02
After Twenty-Nine Years.

After Twenty-Nine Years.
/ When the Washington Artillery was
at Morgan City on the Fourth of July,
there were many striking incidents that
sprung out of the ceremonies of dedi-
eating Fort Star and of practising with
the solid shot. The whole day the war
and It's memories were kept before the
people, but it was not reawakeninS
in which the bloody shirt had any play,
but more of thoughtful rctrospection,
in which the recalling of battles was
not with bitterness, but with an impair
tial sadness.
Among all the happenings of the day,
none was more singular and note
worthy than one which occurred to
Colonel Richardson, the commander of
the battalion. 1t was during the time
when the batteries were firing shell at
two targets, which looked like tiny
haudkerchief5 on the water, they were
so far away. \ good shot was fired,
and the spectators were applauding the
excellent craftsmanship, and the colon.
e stepped up to the gun to command
the gunner, when, without cause or
without knowing why, the memory OF
similar shot, which had been fired
tweniy-nine years ago, almost TO the
i'very day, flashed into his mind, when
he had stepped up to gunner and
complimented him in much the same
style.
1t was when he was in Fort fla-
hone 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 a mark it
had been the tops Of two Sibley tents,
which peeped over the ramparts Of
Fort "IIell, just opposite Fort Dam
nation" They were the tents of teder-
al officers. He knew that from de-
scrter, who had informed him also that
the officers of the whole command held
Il 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 fcdcrals by firing on the
tents just at the time OF the daily con-
! suitauon.
lie selected the best gunner in his
command, and told him what he want
ed him do, and that was to
load and prepare the guns for special
shot which he was going to direct them
| - frDn ,.nnnn cant a
was sure that he had gunners he could
depend upon, and TO make his triumph
complete he asked General Malone to
be present when the shots were 10 be
fired.
IL was noon the next day when the
| horses of The federal officers were seen
| collected around the two tents. The
gunners were told 10 train their guns
upon them, and 10 be certain 10 make
their shots tell. Those two shots were
made the center of the interest Of those
in Fort ''Damnation" for that day, for
the word was passed around that the
destruction of the officers tents was to
be attempted.
After deal of preliminary arrange
ments the two shots were fred and the
tops of the two Sibley tents disappear
ed like card houses in gale of wind.
The success of the shots was the signal
for cheering on the part of the conted-
crates. General Malone complimented
the accuracy of the artillerymen, and it
was then that the captain stepped to
the gunner and expressed his approba-
ton in much the same way that he
used to the one that had made the
good shot at Morgan City. But there
had always been tinge of dissatistac-
ton about that shot at the federal
tents, and that was that he had never
ascertained whether any one had been
hurt in the tents, and for the twenty
nine intervening years that one thought
had pervaded the whole incident.
With these thoughts in his mind Col.
Richardson turned away from the gun
ner at Morgan City, and at that mo-
ment one of Morgan City's prominent
citizens, Mr.. Gray, stepped to the Col
onel's side and said:
'Isn't this Col. Richardson 2"
Yes
"Well, l have been wanting to meet
YOU for many years, ever since | heard
that YOU had been in Fort 'Damnation'
ut the same time that 1 was in Fort
Hell.
..Yes?" said the Colonel, "and when
were you in Fort Help F"
''In July, 1864, in fact, just twenty
nine years ago today" answered Mr..
Gray.
The Colonel instantly thought of
those two shots, and wondered if his
curiosity was to be satisfied. do you
remember day while you were oppo,,
site me in Fort HE'LL when the tents OF
the officers were taken down by two
shots which were almost simultane-
Gus ?" =
The stranger did not reply for full
minute. The shadow seemed to fall
over him, his eyes grew dark, and be
stepped back and surveyed the colonel
from head to foot. Then he broke out
icelingly: "D-n you! shall never
forget those shots. They swept away
the flower of my corps. My first lieu
tenant was killed. and the leg of my
second lieutenant was shot off and five
others were killed. And did YOU fire