Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-16
A CAPTURED CORRESPONDENT.
some Interesting Remarks by Junius
Henri Browne.

broWue.
Even during my early boyhood I was
much inclined-from constitutional an
tipathy, doubtless-to imagine myself in all
sorts of conditions. for the most part UNI
pleasant. One condition which 1 did not
imagine. but which was afterward re-
allied, was that should be held as prls-
oner for nearly two years in my native
country by my own countrymen.
This was not, perhaps, much the fault
OF my imagination as Of the fortunes OF
our civil war, which no American was
willing to anticipate. 1t is only the i'm
possible that happens.
The two years that / was in the Field az
war correspondent of the New York
Tribune were passed entirely in the south
west, with the armies and on the gun
boat fiotilla in that SECTION. The CORE
spondents there were under far less mill
tary supervision and were far less subject
to orders than in the east Indeed, they
had in general great individual freed On,
They came and went whenever and whar-
ever they chose. They Joined any expedi-
uon or selected any position they liked,
and were oftener in the front line of bat
tie than in the rear. Although nominaIIy
non-combatants. they usually had arms I'm
t tr hands, and did good deal of what
they called amateur fighting on their own
account They had a wide range cam
palgning from Columbus Ky TO The
Balize and every opportunity for pers ,naI
enterprise and adventure of which thew
were not slow to take advantage
Correspondent ms n Sharnsbooter
At Fort Donelson February IL and IL,
1862, which was the first marked Union
success of the war, I won, I remember. a
reputation as a marksman which did not
deserve. Several of our regiments had
clambered over the confederate breast
works. and got into the intrenchments ON
the afternoon of the second day. While
there a held piece of the enemy was
trained upon them, and fired at reg llar
intervals of a few seconds with what
seemed to us. on the outside must be very
disastrous effect Very soon a company of
Illinois sharpshooters was posted on a
height directly opposite the hostile gun.
with orders to pick off the gunner. He
could not be seen from the height but
whenever the piece was discharged a dozen
or more rifles flashed in the direction OF the
smoke and the report. Still the gun
doomed away as regularly rs before fndi-
eating that the gunner had not been struck
As balls and shells were whizzing and
shrieking thickly through the air in that
particular neighborhood, the sharpshooters
naturally as is the custom, protected
themselves behind trees and logs.
AS was in more elevated place watch
ing anNiously the firing on both sides, enc
or the company, observing me, asked:
Are you a good shctT'
so, So" l answered.
Wouldn't YOU like to try to pop that
Johnny Reb that's banging away like hi
at our boys?"
I nodded assent, for the roar of battle
drowned anything less than a shout
Then take my rifle" he screamed: get
down behind this fallen tree and try to
bring him down. d-n HIM"
did as requested, accepting his rifle, and
resting 1t on the log. I waited, aiming the
Piece, for the puff from the vent. At the
moment of its appearance I fired The
usual number of seconds passed: then
twice and thrice the number. The sharp
shooter looked at me in enthusiastic nd.
miration, and exclaimed:
BY Cd, you've fetched him."
shouted: Il shouldn't wonder" and
were green. but not SO rapidly as NOT 10
hear in brief lull, as the soldier pointed
ne out, Hes crack shot, boys; he is"
Correspondent Commands a Battery.
Moving hurriedly on I saw a Missouri
battery disengaged. whose colonel 1 knew.
felt sure he would render good service on
the spot had left. quickened my pace
into run having seen fifteen minutes be-
fore General Grant and several of his staff
Officers watching the engagement, about a
mile beyond. I reached the spot almost
out of breath, and was delighted TO see
the general still there. This was not at
all strange, as the spot commanded a fine
view of The whole field. 1 immediately
communicated to him my idea OF the need
or battery at that special point and
briefly explained the situation. Learning
by few short questions that understood
what was talking about he told me 10
order the Missouri battery, in his NAME to
go at once to the place 1 had mentioned
ran back to the music of shot and shell,
which generally passed above my read,
and delivered his order. which was In
stantly obeyed, and the battery rendered
valuable and most efficient service.
This was q good illustration of General
Grants practicability and comm IN sense.
He had at this time but two or three of
his stan with him. and thinking, no doubt
that he might need them any moment, he
intrusted to me. though not an officer or a
soldier, an important order without the
least hesitation.
At DonelsOn.
The correspondents were commonly
but the land forces at Fort
Henry, on the Cumberland river eleven
miles to the west had marched thence,
February n. under the impression Grants
scouts had totally deceived himD that the
garrison at Donelson was little more than
1900 men. when 1t really reached nearly
live times as many, and that IL would mere
" make q pretense of resistance.
So misinformed.; the army and the gem
eralGepproacheds DOnelson without tents,