Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-09-07

known as Fort "Damnation. when
the shot twenty-nine years before had
been fred. 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 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 com
mand held daily consultation there,
and that he could tell the time from
the fact that they hitched their horses
around the tents. Col. Richardson was
then captain in the Washington artil-
lery. and he conceived the idea of
scoring a point on the federals by fir
ing on the tents just as 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 complete he
asked Gen. Malone to be present when
the shots were to be fired.
1t was noon the next day when the
horses of the federal officers We're seen
collected around the two tents. The
gunners were told to train their guns
upon them and to be certain to 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 We're fired and the
tops of the two Sibley tents disappeared
like card houses in a gale of wind.
The success of the shots was the sig
nal for cheering on the part of the
confederates Gen. Malone compli-
mented the accuracy of the artillery
men, and it was then that the captain
stepped to the gunner and expressed
his appreciation in much the same way
that he used to the one that made the
good shot at Morgan City. But
there had always been tinge of dis
satisfaction about that shot at the fed
eral tents and that was that lie had
never ascertained whether anyone had
been hurt in the tents, and for the
twenty-nine intervening years that one
thought had pervaded the whole Incl
dent.
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 Citys prominent
citizens, Mr.. Gray. stepped to the
colonels side and said:
Isn't this Col. Richardson's"
Eyes"
well, ] have been wanting to meet
YOU for many years. ever since ] heard
that you had been in Fort Damnation'
at the same time that / was in Fort
Hell.
'Yes?' said the colonel, and when
We're You in Fort 'Hen?"
I'm July, 1864; in fact, just twenty
nine years ago to-day 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 We're oppo-
site me at Fort He'll when the tents
Of the officers were taken down by two
shots which were almost simultaneous"
The stranger did not reply for fun
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. feel
ingiy: Hang you. snail never for
get those shots. They swept away the
flower Of my corps My first lieutenant
was killed, and the leg Of my SECOND
lieutenant was shot off and Eve Others
were killed And did you fire that
shot?"
The deep feeling Of the man was evi-