The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-05
SHOT A MAN A MINUTE.
MARVELLOUS EXPERIENCE OF La
MAR FONTAFNE, 4 SCOUT.
Lee Held the Watch on Him-He
Fired Shot After Shot During the
Time, and Never Failed 10 hit His
Man-Was wounded DER and O'er.


Man-Was wounded DER and Ger.
From the Richmond Dispatch.
Among the veterans in Richmond to-
day Is one of the most unique characters
In the history of the contederacy Heels
Lamar Fontaine Of Lyon, Coahoma coun-
ty, Mississippi, who in his day and gem
Grafton was perhaps the most destructive
and sanguinary warrior, single handed.
that the world ever saw. and who I'm mis-
declining years devotes himself 20 the
muses. and from time to time contribu-
tions 10 the daily and periodical press, lit
erary articles of such merit, as no one
would credit to a man who carries the
scars Of sixty-seven bullets and has slain
to many fellow-creatures that he cannot
make even an approximate estimate of
the number thereof
The Marquis of Lothian, IN his history
Of the war Of secession. published several
| years ago, being cOnyersant with many in
cidents in the life of Fontalne, says in
effect that none Of the historical or ira
| ditional heroes of the chivalric middle
ages no soldier the world has ever known
| whose deeds of valor have come down in
story, song, or fable can hold a place
alongside this man in the qualities of
bravery, perseverance, or devotion to
duty; and the marquis laments that the
| confederate states produced no poet or
biographer capable of embalming the
memory of this nineteenth-century war
rior
Stated briefly, Fontaines war record was
| this: He began as scout and courier for
| Gen. Stonewan Jackson. He served in
| the same capacity with Gems. Stuart and
and johnson, and briefly with Lee. He
| took part in twenty-seven pitched bat
L ie hos a nd "a
| hundred individual skirmishes, in which
| blood was shed. Although he was but a
private in the ranks, he was once en-
trusted with a carte blanche order on
the treasury of the confederate states
He was known in all branches of the
confederate service as the best marksman
with rifle or revolver in either army. He
was wounded sixty-SeVen times, and thir-
| teen times his lungs were pierced. Five
| times in the course of the war he was
| reported in the dispatches as dead. on
two occasions he was able, with the aid
Of mirrors, to look into apertures in his
flesh, and watch the beatings of his own
heart. These statements might appear
fabulous and altogether incredulous, but
for the fact that the man is well known
by all the veterans IN these parts, who
fully vouch for all these details and aver
| further that if Fontane were not so
modest his own recital of his career would
seem even more remarkable.
Lamar Fontaine is of the same family
as Senator and Associate Justice Lamar
who died a few years ago, while occu-
plying d seat on the supreme bench. He
Is also klnsman OF Commodore Matthew
tontalne Maury, who mapped the path
| ways of the ocean, and gave the world
the grandest work of the century-'The
Physical Geography of the Sea"
He is also one of the nearest descend
ants of the immortal Patrick Henry now
living and also of the Winstons the
Dabneys, the Lewises the Spotswoods
the Dandridges, and many more of the
70 14aa 49, rswsr tot
in making her name great in the annals
of our country.
He is with us now attending the sixth
annual reunion of the confederate veter-
ans in this city, and it was the fortune
of a Dispatch reporter to meet him while
in our midst. He is of average stature.
wears soft felt white hat a dark gray
Prince Albert coat, and has a gentle.
kindly expression, and a clear, gray eye,
under heavy overhanging brows
In a conversation with him, the reporter
remarked that | have seen a letter in the
Sc,mitar, of Memphis Tenn in which il
is said that you had killed sixty men in an
hour VIII you relate to me something
about uhis-how, when, and where it oc-
Cured?
He, good-humoredly, replied: 1T occurr-
ed al Waterloo bridge. just above Warren
ton Springs. N Virginia, in August 1862
Just as StoneWall Jackson was thanking
Pope prior to the second battle of Manas-
sas. had been sent across the river early
in the morning to ascertain if possible
what yankee corps was in front of US. I
captured a member of the Eleventh Penn
sylvania regiment and a member of Pllr-
nell Maryland legion, a part of the van
kee provost guard, and released a mem
Der OF the First Maryland Regiment. con
federate states army who was a prisoner
F'recrossed the river with my prisoners.
and delivered them to our provost guard
ana from the prisoners Gen. Jackson GOT
the desired information. Quite heavy mr.
ing was going on at the bridge
Ihere was long frame house with
a cellar under it, and our sharp-shooters
had possession of it, and the .'Yanks''
We're pouring heavy fire into it from the
opposite side of the river. Just below me
bridge. While this fire was going on Cen
jackson sent me with dispatch 10 Cen
A. +. Hill When l returned | found tbe
general sitting near a large fallen brick
column of an old residence that had been
destroyed by fire prior to the opening Of
the war. -
Ihere We're several columns stiU stand
ne ana l got down, and stood near one
W nile standing near this spot a battery on
the opposite side of the river opened liroI1
our men, who We're in the valley near me
watched several shots. and asked the
general II l could try my hand at them
lie SAD ne had no objection. / shot from