Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-03-31
CLEVER SHOOTING.
RESULT or TWO SHOTS LEARNED
AFTER TWENTY-N,Ne YEARS.


Southern Field Day-How Colonel Rich
nrdson Came to Know That He Had Done
Some Damage to His Enemies.
When the Washington artillery was
at Morgan City, there We're many strik-
ing incidents that sprang out of the GER
einonies of dedicating Fort Star and of
practicing with the solid shot. The
whole day the war and its memories
were kept before the people, but it was
not reawakening in which the bloody
shrt had any play, but more of a
thoughtful retrospection, 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.
Ii was during the time when the bat
terIes were firing shell at the two tar
gets, which looked like tiny handker-
chleis on the water, they We're 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 IA similar shot which
had been fired 30 years ago almost to the
very day flashed into his mind when he
had stepped up to a gunner and coinpli-
mented him III much the same style.
1t was when he was 1T Fort Malone AT
the siege of Petersburg. which was
known rs Fort Domination, when the
shot 20 years before had been fired, and
the Fourth of July was almost the ami
versary 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 .'Da1naation." 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 daily consultation there.
and that he could tell the time from the
fact that they hitch4d their horses around
the tents.
Colonel Richardson was then a cap
tam IN the Washington artillery, and he
conceived the idea of scoring point on
the t'ederals by firing ON the tents lust
at the time of the daily consultation.
lie selected the best gunner in his COM
mand and told h,.n what he wanted him
to do, and that was to load and prepare
the guns Ter a special shot which he was
going to direct them to make the ensu-
ing day. The young captain was sure
that he had gunnors he could depend up
on. and to make his triumph complete
he asked General Malone to be present
when the shots Were to be fired.
1t was noon the next day when the
horses OF the Federal officers Were 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 dav, for
the word was passed around that tine de-
strUctlon OF the officers tents was to be
attempted.
After a deal of preliminary arrange
ments the two shots were fired, and the
tops OF the two Sibiey tents disappeared
hike cardhouses IN gale of wind. The
success of the shots was the signal for
cheering on the part of the Confederates.
General Malone conplimented the ac-
curacy OF the artillerymen. and it was
then that the captain stepped to the gun
ner and expressed his appreciation in
much the same way that he used to the
one that had made the good shot a; Nor
gan City. But there had always been a
tlnSe OF dissatisfaction 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 - 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-
ment one Of Morgan City's prominent
citizens, Mr.. Gray, stepped to the colo
nel's side and said:
isn't this Colonel Richardson
Yes"
well. have been wanting to meet
you for many years. ever since | heard
You had been in Fort Domination at
the same time that was in Fort He'll"
Yes" said the colonel, land when
were You in Fort HELP"
lin July, 1864. In fact, Just 90 wears
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
n day while you We're opposite me in
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 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'll shall never forget these
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 five others were killed. And
did you fire that shot?"
The deep feeling of the man was evil
dent. but a moment later be said, well,
colonel, you are now teaching your young
soldiers to serve the flag for which my
officers laid down their lves."-New
Orleans Tinies-Democrat.