St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-18

world to squandering their money on
new vessels and armaments.
was Sitting OH the starboard rail
watching the territory over which the
stars and bars waved defiance, and
wondering IL they would give US part
ing salute from their batteries when we
passed Sewall's point. Suddenly q
puff of smoke announced that the usual
courteseS were not TO be omitted, and
the solid shot which carried their CON-
pliments struck the water far short OF
us. and. ricocheting, sank beneath tho
placid waters of the roads. Another
came bit nearer, and l, for one. smiled
contemptuously at these futile efforts
TO reach US. But that was before the
days of range finders, and these pre-
llminary shots were merely to get
our range and speed. for the next
pun OF smoke was a larger one
and 1t was followed few moments
later by that roaring, Screechlng sound
which, heard the first time, appalls, and
Tor which one never acquires anything
more than nOddlng acquaintance.
Looking in the direction OF the sound,
seized with a vivid conviction chat it
was coming directly to me. have no
doubt that 1t impressed every one who
saw it the same way. very hastily left
my seat on the rail and sought refuge.
in my panic, behind the foremost, re-
CARELESS of the awful fact that it
was the worst possible place and
that, should the ball hit the mast,
L would be filed fuller of splinters
than ever martyr was. | caught a
glimpse of fat surgeon of one of the
regiments going head-first on his hands
and knees down the forward hatchway,
l,,,t 81
absurd sight. The ball went over the
ship just amidShips and plunged into
the water, lucky miss for us, for, be-
sides being miss, 1t gave the rebels no
point TO correct the range. | ducked as
it passed over, and. hearing slight
movement behind me, looked around
and saw the slight form of the lieuten-
ant colonel of my regiment, who had
also sought shelter behind the mast
and me. 1t comforted me not little to
think that so high an officer was just as
bIdly scared as L was. A second shot
passed over us before we got out of
range. Iducked my head in acknowl-
edgment again. but, looking up, saw
the colonel. Halbert E. Paine, standing
erect beside the captain of the ship,
never tlinching as the shot went over.
How [ admired his nerve.
1t was in May of 1868, and we had in
vested Port Hudson. We had made one
assault and met a reDulSe, and at night
had carried Col. Paine off the field,
where he fell when bullet shattered
his knee. Our regiment was in the rifle
pits, where daily duelS were fought
with the sharp-shooters which the
enemy had stationed in the tail trees
within their works, and from which
they picked off our men whenever they
showed themselves. Lieut.. Col. Bean
was in command and had gone out un-
der cover of the dark to the rifle pits, to
pass the day with the boys. What
ever of nervousness was caused by
that first exposure to fire in the Roads
and made him seek shelter with
me behind the mast, had long since
worn off. and no regiment had cooler,
nervier officer than was Sydney A.
Bean. Tired of sitting in the pits and
shooting from under cover, and disdain-
full perhaps of rebel mark smanship,
Bean, undeterred by the eXpoStulations
of the men, took musket and climbed
out of the pit. and, standing erect,
began duel with sharpshoOter who
had been very annoying. The boys
loaded the musKetS and handed them to
HIM as fast as he fired, but he had not
made more than two or three shots
before he threw up his hands and fell
back into the pit with a rifle ball
through his breast, dead. 1t was a
foolhardy act. but it took nerve to do it,
and that the little colonel' had in
abundance. t P. j. S.