The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-03-24

sharpshpoter became 30 misuse that Il
~" and OF $4,000 was offered fGf5hiwf
dean or alive, and tre9Rs wexe dix
pktesvsd 10 cover all tho rCade leading
Southwark. TO intercept bis progress.
But he avoided ~themSspd reported on
time to his General IS Jackson for orr
.ders.
dispatches and 40, 600 musket caps
through the Federal lines and into the
city OF Vicksburg.
The appalling difficulty OF this UNI
dertaking may be judged from the
fact thai Vicksburg was beleagued by
$4,000 Federsls under General Ulysses
S. Grant; all the approaches to that
city were controlled and guarded by
the Federals, and there was "a reward
of $40, 0G0 for the head of Fontaipe.
But this courier understood the
uses Of discretion as we'll as the neces-
sity for valor. He set out on his
journey. He avoided all thorough
fares. In complete disguise and under
cover OF darkness he passed through
the federal lines, u was about to
make q run for the Confederate out
posts, when he found himself In q
clump of brushwood, confronted by q
half dozen soldiers, who appeared to
know who he was, for on sight they
opened fire on him. He rushed into
their midst, revolver in each hand,
and four Of the enemy fell dead before
his unerring aim, The other two fed
and the spy ran into the city. When
he presented himself before the officer
on his body the marks Of seventeen
bullets. This adventure is well au-
thenticated.
AS to the numerous fatalities In
which Fontaine appeared as the GEN.
| trail figure, some of them had their
ludicrous side. John Esten Cooke,
the writer Of q very popular series of
Confederate historical novels, was a
companion of Fontaine's during the
a and used him, under various
names, as a character in his novels.
In "Mohun" Fontaine is sketched in
the character Of Night Hawk. In
"Surry of Eagles Nest" he is given
the name Of Farley. CuriOusly enough,
states as a historical fact that Fon-
taine was killed at Petersburg, which
proves only that Fontaine was such q
skillful actor as to deceive his closest
friends in his mortuary role.
sit is true, though" explained he
to the writer, THAT at Petersburg ]
was wounded in a hot skirmish engage
ment, and being unable to run away
simulated a corpse when the Federals
overran the ground on which l lay
When iG was learned in my company
that 1 was dead, one of the officers SEN
off at once for a coffin in which to bury
me. About the time the coffin arrived
in camp l showed up, too. That in
terfered materially with the funeral
But next day, in tho course Of genera
engagement, the officer who had dis
played such friendliness for me re
ceived a fatal wound, and the remain
OF the poor man were sent bone in tb,
coffin he had ordered for me-"
1t was in the course of his mission
to Vicksburg that Fontaine was hon
ored with unlimited credit upon tn
treasury of the Confederacy. 1t wa
in the shape Of IN order signed by I
o. Minis, the chief quartermaster c
the war department., and was worde
thus: "The Confederate States treas
urer will honor any draft preseute
him signed by Lamar Fontaine." Pei
haps in all the history Of civilized war
fare no such credit and confidence wa
rel before reposed in q private so.
der.
Unparalleled as has been this man
accomplishments in deeds Of daring
{ lie has not failed to win laurels in tn
fairer folds of literature. He is
regular and popular writer Of wa
! sketches, and a recent burlesque art
Gle or the Venezuelan controversy i
which he undertook to express the pa
triotism Of the Confederate veteran tc
ward the stars and stripes evoked
half.colurln editorial from The Londo
Times. But as a writer be is NOR
widely known by the poem, "Quie
Along the Potomac" While tn
credit for his composition has bee
claimed by several others and publicl
accorded to a few, those who are awar
of Fontaine's claim and the indisput
able evidence upon which it rests n
longer entertain any doubt about hi
good title to the authorship. Cel
tainly, though, he is largely sci.
educated, he is q master of gracefu
English, and his ability to compos
such a poem is unquestionable.