The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-03-24
Sfoy1es o the Wnr.
Lamar RONTAlNE, THE SCOUT.
RE SLEW THE ENEMY BY SCORES.
A MODEST Man With a Splendid Record
The Best Marksman in Either Army En-
gagged in the Late War.

Following the peaceful and mono
tonous a~vOcations Of q planter and a
man of letters in the secluded hamlet
of Lyon, In Coahoma County, Missis-
sippi, not far from Memphis, lives the
most destructive and ~sauguinary war.
rior, single handed, that the world
ever saw, and who in his declining
DAYS, dovOtes himself to the muses. and
from time to timo contributes to the
daily and periodical press literary
articles OF such fine merit as no one
would credit to u man who carries the
scars Of sixty-scven bullets and has
slain SO many fellow creatures that he
canpot make ever an approximate es-
innate Of the number thereof.
ThS~kquis of Lothian, in his his
tory Of the war of secession, published
several years ago, being conversant
with many incidents in the life or Fon-
tainevN says in effect that none OF the
&thistorical or traditional heroes OF the
Fchivalric ages, no soldier the world
!, has ever known whose deeds OF valor
have come down in story, song or IA
BILE, can hold IL place alongside this
man in the qualities OF bravery, per-
severance or devotion to duty and the
marquis laments that the Confederate
States produced no poet or ~biographer
capable OF embaiming the memory Of
this nineteenth century warrior.
Stated briefly, Fontaine's record was
this: He began as chief Of scouts aud
courier for General S%tonewall Jackson.
He served in the same capacity with
Generals Stuart m johnson n
briefly with Lee. He took part in
twenty-seven pitched battles, fifty
seven skirmishes and owe Il hundred
individual skirmishes in which blood
was shed. Although he was but a
private in the ranks he was once en-
trusted with q carte blanche order on
the treasury of the Confederate States.
He was known in all branches OF the
Confederate service us the best marks
man with rifle Of revolver In either
army. He was wounded siXty-seveu
times, and thirteen times his lungs
were pierced. Five times in the course
OF the war he was reported in the dis
patches as dead. On two occasions he
was able, with the aid Of mirrors, to
look into apertu.es in his flesh and
watch the beatings of his heart. These
statements might appear fabulous
and altogether incredulous but for the
fac that the mar is well known by
all he veterans in these parts, who
fully vouch for all these details and
averN further that if Fontaine were
not so modest his W recital Of his
career would seem ever moro remark
able.
Lamar Fontaine bears in his veins
the best 4.5lood in the South. He Is OF
the same family as Senator and Asso-
ciate Justice Lamar, who died a cou-
pie OF years - Mu.iio occupying q
seat on the supreme bench.
The writer met Fontaine in Mem
phis this week. He had come up to
attend a gathering of the local Con-
federate veterans post and to read u
paper comnhendatory Of the Southern
battle abbey project. He is active and
spr1ghtlv 0fnd seems good for another
rs aaarter Of a century at least, notwith-
standing his body is SO badly SCARED
that scarcely a patch of the original
skin is visible. He is under the
average stature, wears a jaunty cos
tune, the most conspicuous features of
which are u broad brimmed hat and a
short jacket. He talks entertainingly
and evinces unusual erudition on all
topics Of up-to-date interest, but is not
at all IOquaclous concerning his per
sonal adventures. All efforts to draw
him out along that line were quite bar
rem of results. However, some extra
ordinary admissions we're had in the
course Of an extend conversation
"Have you any idea of the number
Of men you have killed in the course
~ vi ycui CaICCI bS CS tShCO.
81 could mako no estimate. But on
one occasion | shot sixty men In sixty
minutes, and the record was kept and
is vouched for by General II. e. Lee
himself"
Fontaine was induced to narratc the
circumstances Of this slaughter.
cit occurred at Waterloo bridge,
near Warrenton Springs, on the Rap
pahannock, in August, 1862" said he.
"That was about the first time | ever
met General Lee, though | had often
sight. ] vas then acting as courier
for General Jackson, who, it seems,
had been telling General Lee about my
skill with the rifle. On this day [ car
ried dispatches to General Lee from
General Jackson. When | had per-
formed my duty General Lee expressed
a desire to see If what be mad heard
about my ability as q i%narbsman was
true, [ told him | would do my best
valley was a ridge upon which was
stationed a Federal battery that was
pouring SHOT into the Co%nfederates as
fast as the guns could be loaded and
dischasged. Drawing forth and open
ing his watch General Leo ordered
me to proceed. Ibegan to shoot.
(" / would say, Now III shoot No. 3
on gun No. j. and the man would drOp
at the crack of my rifle: Now No. i
on gun a. and that man would drop.
And so the work continued. AS fast
as q mar on the battery fol another
would take his place. Finally General
Lee closed his watch. That will do
said he. Sixty men in sixty minutes
is your record
con q later occasion when we met
General Lee asked me il my conscience
did not trouble me.
M'What for - said /.
Because OF the people you have
killed.
!" Genoral,i said 1, does our con-
science trouble you when you kill a
rattlosnake Z"
"'Wbs>do you ask that % he replied,
With that peculiar smile everybody
noticed about him.
HtBecause,' l answered, when / en-
listed for the war / made up my mind
thai il vas my duty to kill every Fed.
eral soldier / could, and ] kill Federal
soldiers from the same sense Of duty
that you would kill q rattlesnake.'"
Fontaine was asked how he acquired
such fine skill in the use OF firearms.
. Among the Indians in Texas" he
replied. when was a small boy [
settled with my parents in that State.
Later went to live among the Conan
ehes, and for thirteen years | never