The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-09-01

When the W ashlngton artillery WIS
at Morgan City, there were many s'rih-
ing incidents that sprang Il OF the cor
emonies Of defeating Fort Star and #
practicins with the solid shot. II"
whole day the war and its memoric
we're kept before the people. but it Wa
not a reawakening i'll which the bloody
~hirt had any play, but more of IA
thoughtful retrospection, III which the
recalling of battles was not with bitter
ness. but with an impartial sadness.
Among the happenings of the day none
was more singular and noteworthy than
one which occurred TO Colonel Richard
son. the commander of the battalion.
1t was during the time when the bat
teries were firing shell at the two tar
gets, which looked like tiny handker-
chiefs on the water, they were SO far
away. a good shot was fired, and the
spectators were %applauding the excellent
craftsmanship. and the colonel stepped
up to the gun to commend the gunner,
when without cause or without knowing
why the memory Of a similar shot which
had been fired 20 years ago almost to the
very day flashed into his mind when he
had stepped up to a gunner and compli
mented him i'll much the same STYLE,
1t was when he was at Fort Malone at
the siege of Petersburg. which was
known as Fort ''Damnation.' when the
shot 90 years before had been fired. and
the Fourth of July was almost the ami
versary 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 HELL" just
opposite Fort ELIMINATION" They We're
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 enrs.
Colonel Richardson was then a cap
tain in the Washington artillery, and he
conceived the idea of scoring "a point on
the Federals by firing on the tents jus;
at the time of the daily consultation
He selected the best gunner in his com
mand and told him what he wanted Inn
to do. and that was to load and prepare
~ StiS Si'NtltA III "illtil ~ WIS
going TO direct them to make the ensu-
ing day. The young captain was sure
that he had gunners he could depend mp
on, AMI to make his triumph complete
he asked General Malone to be prescott
when the shots We're to be fired.
1t was noon the next day when the
horses of the Federal officers We're sec;,
collected around the two tents. til.
gunners We're told to train their gun
upon them and to be certain to make
their shots tell. Those w shots wee
made the center of the interest of those
i'll Fort ''Damnation" for that day. Tor
the word was passed around that the de-
struction of h officers tents was to b..
attempted.
After Il deal Of preliminary rrange
ments the two shots We're fired. am Ia.
tops Of the two Sibley tents disapreareG
like ~cardhouses in Il gale Of wind. Tn.
success OF the shots was the signal TO
cheering on the part of the C~onfeaeratcs
General Malone complimented the ac
curacy of the artillerylnen. and it was
then that the captain stepped TO the gun.
uer and expressed his appreciation =!
much the same way that he used to TT
one that had made the good shot at Nor.
gan City. But there had always been a
tinge of dissatisfaction about that $40;
at the Federal tents, and that WAS that
he had never ascertalned whether auY
one had been hurt in the tents, and IDr
the 20 intervening years that one though;
had ~pervaded the whole incident.
With thaSa thot,pl,, IN III, ,,;,J f,,l.
mel Richardson turned away from the
gunner at Morgan City, and at that mo-
ment n of Morgan City's prominen,
citizens, Mr.. Gray, stepped to the colo
nels side and said:
isn't this Colonel Richardson"
Yes"
well. | have been wanting to meet
you for snany years, ever since | heard
you had been in Fort Domination at
the am time that l was in Fort He'll"
Yes said the colonel. land when
were you in Fort He'll"
In July, 1864. In fact, just 90 year.
ago today" answered Mr.. Gray.
The colonel instantly thought of thos.
two shots and wondered if his curiosity
was to be satisfied. DO OF remember
a day while you were opposite me in
Fort He'll when the tents OF the officers
were taken down by two shots which
were almost sim%ultaneous!"
The stranger did not reply for a full
minute. A shadow seemed to fall over
him. his eyes grew dark. and he stepped
back and surveyed the colonel from head
to foot. Then he broke out feelingly.
Oh you. | shall never forget thosr
shots. They swept away the flower If
my corps. My first lieutenant was killed.
and the leg Of my second lieutenant was
snot off. and five others were killed. And
did you fire that shoty'
The deep feeling of the man was evi-
dent. but a moment later he said, well.
colonel, You are 10Y teaching your young
soldiers to serve the flag for which my
officers laid down their ives."-New
Orleans Times Democrat.
Too Far on.