The National tribune., 1896-04-02
A NEW CLAIMANT FOR THE CHAM
pIONSIJJP

PIONSHIP
Sometime ago we published selections
from the story of "The last survivor OF
the Louisiana Tigers" who is now
quietly cobbling decrepit watches and
tinkering broken breastpins for the
colored citizens of Macon, Ga. We
then rashly uttered the opinion that he
was without doubt the champion go-as-
you-please, single-footed liar in the late
Southern Confederacy; This shows the
danger of giving opinions before the re-
turns are all in. We now promise never
to do SO again. Before we again at
tempt to award the championship for
free-hand artistic lying we shall wait
say, and been planted under the voice
less sod.
Reason why" A new champion
has risen, who makes the lonely Louisi-
ana Tiger as insignificant as a tallow
candle alongside of an arc light The
Louisiana Tiger used to think nothing
of going out casually with few of his
comrades and knocking the life out of
one of our brigades, but Mr.. Lamar
Fontaine, who now plants cotton in Ca
homa County, Miss, not far from Mem
phis, can give him cards and spades and
then beat him as slayer of Yankees.
A dispatch from Memphis in the New
York San says of him:
The Marquis of Lothian in his History Of
! the War OF Secession, published several years
ago, being conversant with many incidents
III the life of FoDtaine, says in effect that
none of the historical or trad heroes
of the chivaric Middle Ages, no soldier the
world has ever known whose deeds Of valOr
have come down in story, song or fable can
hold place alongside this man in the
qualities of bravery perseverance, or devo-
ton to dnty and the Marquis laments that
the Confederate $ ates produced 10 poet or
bographer capable Of eilbalmiGg the mem
DRY of this 10Th century warrior.
Now, there is no such thing in the
British nobility as the Marquis of Lo-
THAN, nor have we ever heard before of
such an English book as "The History
of the War of Secession" But that is
unimportant. 1t is small detail speed
lily forgotten in the glazing gorgeous
ness of the succeeding statements.
OF course, Mr.. Fontaine is descend
ant of the Cavaliers, and the best blood
in the South flows in his veins" No
Southerner ever fails to begin any state
ment regarding himself in that way.
Mr. Fontaine also casually remarks that
he was in q regular battles and 100
smaller affairs where much blood was
shed. He was wounded 81 times; 13
times bullets grazed his lungs, five times
he was officially reported dead. How
he has escaped being put into dime
museum years ago is what puzzles us.
Have you any idea of the number of
men you killed in the course of your war
carreer?" he was asked.
:" could make no estimate, but on one
occasion / shot 60 men in 60 minutes, and
the record was kept aud was vOuched for by
Gen. X. L. Lee himself. 1t occurred at
Waterloo Bridge, near Warrenton Springs,
on the RappahannOck, in August, 1862.
That was about the first time | ever met
Gen. Lee, though / had often seen him be-
fore aud knew him by sight. / was then
acting rs courier for Gen. Jacks IN, who, it
seems, had been telling Gen. Lee about my
skill with a rifle. On this day carried dis
patches to Gen. Lee from Gen. Jackson
When | had performed my duty Gen. Lee
EXPIRE ssed desire to see if what he had
heard about my ability as marksman was
true. / told him l would do my best to
demonstrate it. Over across the valley was
a ridge upon which was stationed Federal
battery that WAS pouring shot into the Con-
iedefates as fast as the guns could be loaded
and discharged. Drawing forth and opening
his watch, Gen. Lee ordered me to proceed.
l began 10 shoot. $3.50
g would say, Now, I'll shoot No. 3 on
gun No. L. and the man would drop at the
crack of my rifle Now, No. 1 on gun No.
a. and that man would drop. And so the
work continued. AS fast as man on the
battery fell over another would take his
place. Finally Gen, Lee closed his watch.
That will do said, ne. Sixty men in 90
minutes is your record"
Now how's that for whopper? 1t
makes it awful tough on the next fellow,
though, who has to tell bigger story.
The amazement is that Gen. Lee al
lowed this man to continue as scout
merely and waste his precious time carry
ing messages, and getting information.
He should have been organized into an
army corps, all by himself, put under
the command of o Lieutenant General,
and furnished with ammunition and
pontoon trains and sent wherever the
n