The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1895-10-11
rHE ARMY,s REsT SHOT.
His Record as Marksman Began at
Vancouver Barracks.

the second cavalry, at Fort Win
gate, Ariz., says correspondent In
the Boston Traveller, who bears the
distinction of being the best shot in
the United States army. He is
Sergeant Henry Henser, and, not
only is he thorough cavalryman
in every sense of the word, per
feet carbine and pistol shot, but he
has had some adventures that few
men would have lived through.
saw the sergant the other day in
his comfortable quarters, and OBJ.
tanned record Of his wonderful
shooting, as we'll as the story OF a
desperate battle he had for his life
in Arizona in 1890, near Fort
Huachuca.
Sergeant Henser has served as
soldier for almost 10 years. He is
a powerfully built, athletic man Of
about 3S years Of age, pleasant
conversationalist and a thorough
good fellow, so his comrades say.
In his competition for place on
the army team Of 1880, when
marksmen were to be selected for
the great army team shoot, he
scored 557 points, against Captain
Kerr's SGT. He was therefore pre-
vented from shooting on the army
team that year, and ii was mortify-
to him later to learn that Captain
Kerr won the army medal by 557
points, the very score he had made
in the preliminaries. It taught
him lesson, however, and he grim
ly declared in future the man who
disqualified him would have to do
some shooting. He proved this a
year later, for, Notwithstanding the
| fact that he h I'd been almost torn
to pieces in December, 1880, by a
silver-tip bear, he won the third
| place in preliminary department
shoot for a place on the army team
and secured the first prize there,
winning handsome gold medal,
more than seven ounces in weight.
He scored SAG points in the army
team shoot.
In the distinguished marksmen's
team shoot in 1892.he won the cell
ebrated Buffalo," medal, huge
gold adornment sought after more,
perhaps, than any other insignium
Of Workmanship to be found in
the army, 1t is larger than the
governments gold medal awarded
to The winner of the army team
shoot, and it has to be won from
the most distinguished marksman
| in the service. He scored 900
points in this shoot. In the same
competition in 1893, at Fort Sheri.
dan, he again won the Buffalo"
medal, with score of 582 Some
one tampered with the sights Of his
carbine at this shoot, and after he
had commenced to fire he had to
take new carbine, about which
he knew nothing. He found that
it shot trife too high. He allow
ed for this ard won first prize in
spite Of the Vaccinations of his
enemies. Again, in last years
shoot he captured the greatly-priz-
ed Buffalo medal, and now has
three of them, in addition to the
first prize medal ofthe government
for the army, and less valuable dec
orations enough to cover his breast.
He has made the highest scores in
skirmish firing ever attained,
namely, ITO, 1T and 104, out of a
possible 200 points.
The shooting at these various
competitions is not ''still shooting
by any means. Neither are the
distances from the targets known;
neither are the targets the great
immense square affairs at which
the militia shoot at Creedmore.
The targets are silhouette figures
of soldiers, life size. One is stand
ing in the act of firing a rifle, an
other kneeling, and the third is
lying prone upon the ground, with
only shoulders and head in sight
hit on the standing target counts
three, a hit on the kneeling one
four, and the lying figure counts
five when hit. The men are given
4c rounds Of ammunition. They
are started toward the targets at a
distance of 500 yards. They are
commanded to halt at some point
the distance of which is unknown
to them, between 500 yards and zoe
yards from the targets. They mus
ire one shot at each stop, and there
are five halts each way, going and
coming. The second shot is fired al
an unknown distance furtheron anc
the competitor may fire as many