The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-14
Az lRrI1LERT DUEL.
Tno csnreaerate ChanenEe ana Tts Acceptancs
at Port Gibson.
From TIE lfiioaukes senifnel.

From the Milwaukee SenfineL
"I witnessed tho only artillery duel that took
place during the war;" said n veteran wearing
a badge o. tho Sixth Wisconsin ARTILLERY. 1t
was fought at Port Gibson, Miss, and was ar
ranged with as much formality, il without sco-
onds, as marks ono OF those personal AFFAIRS OF
honor in France"
The Sixth wisconsin man did not give his
name, but said hc lived in Sank City, where he
conducted a hotel. He said he had fought
through tho war with the old Sixth, and q little
red badge fastened to his vest by a safety pin
and inscribed with tho names of n dozen battle
fields bore testimony to the trpthfulness Of his
by Congress and went bond for the story;
There were a good many ARTILLERY, fights dur,
Gen. Lees guns exchanged tons Of solid shot,
shells, and canister with MCClellan's artillery,
toned on Seminary Ridge, Numbered at eighty
of our pieces on Cemetery Ridge, In mma OF
Gen, II. J. Hunt, Gen, Meede's chief OF artiI, .niyy.
although 1 see they are called duels, by these
fellows who write history; The artillery hghe
nothing iess-and was Witnessed by tho greater
part OF two armies who did nothing but watch
uuvring about .Vicksburg in an effort to GET
n fsstiS SsS SioM. to r i9S rSFt below '1 VIc Ks slFak crossed ss cd
to tho east bank Of tho Mississippi at Bruins,
OF of' Bru hEIs Tlcs %nd Il at t'f that point tho conted:
crates were in force. At dawn on May /, 1858,
the two armies wero face to face.
when we reached Port Gibson. the Sauk
City innkeeper continued. both armies halted
to take breath. Way Off toward tho Confeder-
alto line was n solitary house. and near this was
tho rebel artillery. While we stood there a bat
terry Of Confederate artillery left the lire. trotted
out as II on parade, swung around into line, and
unlimbered. 1t was all done with the precision
and nicely of n parade at West Point. Every
man was In his place. we could see. although tho
distance was three-quarters Of a mile. There
the men stood. like so many statues In gray.
Everybody asked what it meant, but no one
could say.
by Jove, it's a challenge + some ono finally
calculated. And sure enough II was.
There was no move in our line for q minute
or two; then the bugle Of the First Wisconsin
sounded. and out went the six guns. swung into
line. and unlimbered. In thirty seconds tho
Johnny rebs saw that the challenge was ac-
copied, and both batteries opened fire.
"While the singular duel was in progress
from twelve to twenty shots were fired from
each gun. The First Wisconsin, was commanded
by Capt. Jake Foster. an old Ozaukec county
boy who went out to Minnesota and enlisted at
La Crosse. He was a good soldier himself, and
his gunners were crackerjacks. and those per
cussion shells made the Johnnies jump. II
wasn't five minutes before the Confederates had
enough and started to withdraw the battery.
Our boys disabled three guns, blow up. u
caisson or two. II i remember right, killed q
rebel Captain, and wounded three or four gum
ners. Every shot that told was greeted by Q
loud cheer from our boys"