The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-08-23
CLEVER SHOOTING.
RESULT OF TWO SHOTS LEARNED
AFTER TWEHTY-fSiNE YEARS.

IN Incident In the Practice Work of u
southern Field Day-How Colonel Rich
ard,on Game 4" know That lie Had Done
some Damage Ia His Enemies.
When the Washington artillery WAS
1T Morgan City, there We're many strlk- .
ing incidents that sprang out OF the GER
emonieS Of defeating Fort Star and OF
practicing with the solid shot. The
whole day the wal and its memoric-
were kept before the people. but it WAS
not IA reawakening in which the bloody
shirt had any play, but more of a
thoughtful retrospectlon, in 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 We're 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 Il to 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 He'll" just
opposite Fort '.Damnation." 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 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 "a cap
tain in the Washington artillery, and he
conceived the idea of scoring a point on
the Federals by firing III the tents just
at the time of the daily consultation
He selected the best gunner in his con-
mand 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 ensu-
ing day. The young captain WAS SUR
that he had gunners he could depend up
on. and TO make his triumph complete
he asked General Malone to be present
when the shots We're to be fired.
II was noon the neX day when the
horses Of the Federal officers We're seen
collected around the two tents. The
upon them and TO be certain to make
their shots tell. Those two shots Were
made tine center OF the interest of those
in Fort "Damnation" for that day. for
the word was passed around that the de-
struction of the officers tents was to be
attempted.
After a deal Of preliminary arrange.
ments the two shots We're fired. and the
tops CT the two Sibley tents disappeared
like cardhouses in a gale Of wind. The
success of the shots was the signal fol
cheering on the part of the Confederates.
General Malone complimented the &C.
curacy of the artillerymen. and it was
then that the captain stepped to the gun.
ner and expressed his appreciation il
much the same way that he used to the
one that had made the good shot at Nor
gan City. But there had always been Il
tinse of dissatisfaction about that sho,
at the Federal tents, and that was that
he had never ascertained whether any
+, one had been hurt in the tents, and fol-
d, the 80 intervening years that one thought
had pervaded the whole incident.
With these thoughts in his mind Colo
. mel Richardson turned away from the
gunner at Morgan City, and at that mo
citizens, Mr.. Gray, stepped to the colo
+ nel's side and said:
isn't this Colonel Richardson"
Yes
We'll. l have beer wanting to NEE
, you for many years, ever since | heart
, you had been in Fort 'DamnatiOn' a
the same time that | was in Fort He'll
Yes" said the colonel. ''and wher
were you in Fort 'Hell:'"
! I'm July, 1864. In fact, just 20 year
ago today" answered Mr.. Gray.
The colonel instantly thought of thos
two shots and wondered if his c~uriosit,
was to be satisfied. DO you remembe
a day while you were opposite me il
. Fort He'll when the tents Of the officer
. were taken down by two shots whicl
were almost Simultaneous"
4 The stranger did not reply for a full
e minute. A shadow seemed to fall owe
: him, his eyes grew dark, and he steppe'
1 back and surveyed the colonel from hea'
to foot. Then he broke out feelingly
Oh you. | shall never forget thos
shots. They swept away the flower o
a my corps. Ny first lieutenant was killed
and the leg of my second lieutenant wa
4 shot off. and five others were killed. Am
ia ~, gro that shpf."