Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-10-30
Fired the Last shot.

The cannon which fired the last shot
in the last battle of the late war is a.
gun worth knowing something about.
Hence, the sale Of the eight-inch Co.
lumbiad, Lady Slocomb, which Is ad-,
vertised in the Mobile Register to take
place there on the 18th, arouses the.
interest of old soldiers and old soldiers,
sons, for the reason that it is generally
supposed to be the gun which fired sol
many deadly volleys in the last battle
that took place during the civil war.
This last engagement, said an old SOL
dier, took place at Spanish fort. This.
engagement, Of course, was not.a regu-
lar battle, and is not, perhaps, recorded
In history as such, but it was, neverthe-
less, q conflict fierce, and fire few that
day as never before. General Forrest
had sent to Spanish fort during the last
days Of the war sufficient force of
men to guard the place, and among the
number was the Fifth Battalion of the
Washington Artillery, Captain Cuth-
bert Slocomb in command. The Lady
Slocomb was brought there, and there
fired its last shots when Wilson'S raid
ers stormed the place and took it. There
the Lady Slocomb, for few hours be-
fore the old fort was surrendered,
belched forth fire and scattered death
IKE an intelligent being, but to no
avail, as the enemy numbered several
times as much as the garrison.
After the surrender Of the fort some
of the members Of Captain Slocomb's
command one night rolled the Lady Slo-
comb off the eastern embankment into
lagoon, or old slush hole, and buried
1t, giving as their reason that they did
not want the gun to fall into the hands
of the enemy. 1t was afterward dug up
and carried to Mobile, where 1t was
purchased by Henry Badger, prom
inent Confederate Of that place, who
had served through the war, and knew
Of the excellence Of the Lady Slocomb.
The gun was named after the wife of
Captain Cuthbert Slocomb, who went
out in 1862 in charge Of the Fifth Bat
talon of the Washington Artillery. The
gun at the battle Of Shiloh spat out Its
first stsmoke andspread its first desolation
into the ranks of the enemy. Through
all the memorable struggles Of the
Army Of the Tennessee it went, and
everywhere 1t gained well-deserved re-
nown. It was prettily mounted, and
was at that time, as it probably is now.
handsome gun.
Now the old relic is to be sold. The
estate Of Henry Badger is being wound
Up, and the gun, along with other relics
Of the Confederacy, Is to fal: into the
hands Of Others. Years ago several eff
forts were made by the Washington
Artillery to buy the gun, and they will
in all probability be heard from at the
sale.-New Orleans Picayune.
Might Have Averted the Civil War.
Ex-President Harrison in writing of
the "Interior Department" J" and the dis.
tribution Of public land in the Ladies'
Home Journal says: "In 1862 the policy
Of giving to actual settlers thereon a
quarter section (160 acres Of the pub
lie land, where the lands were rated at
$1.25 per acre, or 80 acres, where the
lands were rated at $3.50 per acre, was
adopted by Congress. The settler is re-
quired to make affidavit that the land
is entered for his own use as q home.
stead, and the patent does not issue to
him until he has resided upon and cul-
tivated the land for five years. In the
case of soldiers and sailors the time
served in the army or navy, and in the
case of those discharged for wounds
or disability the whole term of enlist
ment may be deducted from the five
years. residence required, but at least
one years residence is required in such
cases. 1t was a wise and benefcent
law, and IL 1t had come twenty years
before would probably have settled the
question Of the extension of, slavery
without any farther help from our
statesmensn;Es
The largest bell. in France has been. ).
hung ihtne 4slfry OF the Church Of. the !
Sacred Hesrt.iny Paris: Weighs 36 !
toni, can ia hard ;at ., distance, Of.
~ miles and III vibrations lists -
minutes