Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1895-02-21
WAR TINE HEROES.
JONES' GREAT SHOT.


|~NfNN ~
''"FARd a rather quiet life in the
army remarked Jones. ~ had no
horses shot from under me- Blythe
way, 1t has always seemed to me that
we owe an inestimable and little recog-
nized debt TO the attraction of gravita-
ton. II 1t had not been for this salu-
'tary force, the air of many states, at
the end Of the late. war, would have
been well-nigh filed with able briga-
dier generals whose horses had been
shot from under them, and who had
not been hauled down yet"
You were in the cavalry arm Of the
service, were you not?' asked Smith.
principally, though was connected
at different times with the infantry
and artillery as WE'LL answered Jones,
guardedly. 81 had fine horse, which
| called Hot Cakes. lie was very
quick horse One day when the bugle
sounded the charge he started so sud-
denly that his tail dropped off,
Now held on, Jones" said Jackson
Peters, firmly; I've heard that story
before
mo doubt. Jackson, no doubt, re-
piled Jones, with the greatest bland
ness. "The whole brigade saw the in
cident happen. Perhaps you got it
from. the history you studied at, school.
Bancroft mentions it.
my service with the artillery" con-
stinued Jones, "while lacking the dash
:of my connection. with the cavalry, was
really of much Importance to the coun-
try. Ibecame-fnterested in the artil-
'lery through so often charging up to
the cannon'smouth. After a years ac-
squaintancc With<this ai$agreeable and
petulant end Of the cannon | deter
mined to getinto touch with the other
end, and accordingly got transferred to
the artillerys. l soou found myself a
:colonel, and in charge Of a small bat
atery.'---Fi -
/ AT the, siege of Port Hudson an incl
ssdent occurred which may be worth re-
5peating.> 1t was during the first days
E+bombardment that my attention was
:.nttracted to- the small amount of APP
lparent injury inflicted on the enemy in
ireturn. for the expenditure in. labor,
Eamniunition and noise. That night it
thappcncd that did not sleep well, my
fthroat being hot and parched from lack
|sof Mater, the tin cup having been shot
|Sout of my hand every time had tried
TO take a drink all day. While tossing
t:on my feverish cot l conceived the no
Elton that the difficulty, with my bat.
Etery at least, was that the projectilcs
Ewere not heavy enough At the first
streak of light, my tent having beer
shot out of existence during the night
/ walked away from my cot, summoned
my orderly and made requisition fol-
a certain eight-inch steel shaft which
happened to know was within our lines
1t had been taken from dismantlet
irohclad, where it had served as the
ram, and was but a short piece somi
six or seven feet long. My heaviest
gun was an eight-inch smooth-bore, anC
had decided to use this shaft as pro
jectile, and tear a breach through the
enemy which would hopelessH cripple
him.
"At about six o'clock the piece of ran
was brought to me- instantly caused
a double charge of powder to be in
serted in the eight-inch gun, and ,ther
had the shaft forced home on,top 4f it.
1t was "a close tit, which pleased mi, "a
1t assured accuracy in firing, and Il my
aim was good doubted not to do ter
rible execution. We were behint
carthworlis on bluff overlooking tb,
enemy's position. My guns' p0intet
downward at small but noticeable
angle. AT eight O'Clock the lombard
ment opened sharply all along the line
1t was the heaviest firing l ever Elk
perienced. j worked the remainder o
my battery vigorously for half an hour
then l determined to give the: enelny
my eight-inch. / had decided to ain
the piece myself. Stepping to it,
leaned forward against the breech, pu
my head down closely, and aimee
with the greatest care. NJ nerve wa
firm as iron. / felt that's the momen
for crushing the rebellion had come
The aim was perfect ! touched tn
vent with my cigar. T.
''Fentlemcn, ] have to"confess to I
miscalculation: Though possessing ;
thorough Knowledge Of ghnnery, hat
made the mistake of having my pro
jectile heavier than my GIN As con