The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-07-02
PLANTER, POET AND WARRIOR
Lamar Fontaine, Famous Mississip
plan, and Some of His Adventures.

St Louis Globe Democrat
Lamar Fontaine is the patronymic
OF a most remarkable mana planter,
poet, hunter and soldier. He now
lives quietly at Lyon Miss, in the
fertile delta country. But he enjoys
the quiet scenes Of the Yazoo Valley
after many years Of most exciting adj
ventures in almost every land under
the sun. lie is now guest Of the La
clede.
Mr.. Fontainc, when a mere strip
pling, belonged to the United States
navy and fought on the United States
frigate Sabine in the Mexican war.
After that war he made Il tour Of the
world, visiting not only the great
cities and the points OF interest in al.
old world countries, but the noted
islands and archipelagoes OF the seas.
AS he was a crack shot with rifle, he
hunted wild animals of all kinds
went after the tiger and the elephant
in the junglcs Of India and the lion in
the forests of Africa. In fact Mr..
Fontaine puts it this way; II sup
pose | have killed all kinds Of game,
from a mouse to an elephant"
But Mr.. Fontaine is a veteran Of
three wars. Besides lighting in the
Mexican war, he was engaged as a
sharpshoOtcr by the Russians in the
Crlmean war, being at the siege Of
SabastOpol, and was a Confederate
sharpsho0tcr in the late civil war.
He has been a dead shot with revolver,
rifle or any kind OF frearm all his life.
Il sat in a stone fort said Mr..
Fontainc, in telling OF his work when
the Russians defended the city, "and
was well protected from the shells
that went hurting above. | was en-
ploycd as a sharpshOOter, and nothing
else, by the Russians. fused Whit'
worth rifle, made In England. ! sat
before an opening in the fort and de-
voted my time to picking of Turkish
officers. | could, OF course, distin'
gui. h the officers Of each nationality
by their uniforms, and during the
whole siege ! never fred at anybody
but a Turk. Not once did ! shoot at
"A British or French soldier.
"Did | kill or wound very many
Turkish officers? Oh, we'll, do not
care to say anything about that; bu,
my work was satisfactory, | guess.
was decorated with the Iron Cross
which medal was instituted by Petel
the Great, and | treasure it as a littl,
mark Of distinction shown me by tn,
Russian government for my services
The charge of Balaklava? Yes,
was popping away at Turkish officer
at the time the noble six hundred
rode to their death did not see tn
charge, but ] heard the thunder o
the Russian guns at the time th
British made that fearful ride int
the valley OF death But, thanks t
Lord Tennyson. those brave Briton
rode into immortal fame. heard TIL
, Russian officers speaking OF that fan
Gus charge aftcrward, and while the
admired the Britons' bravery, the
said it certainly had been mad
through a mistake, else IL was shce
y foolhardincss.
IL received a slight wound at tn
siege, and that was by fragment {
a shell. I had been slightly wounde
in the same way at Vera Cruz, IN I'll
. Mexican war"
Before the civil war Mr.. Fontair
g owned a plantation OF 1900 acre
y near Matagorda, Texas, and owne
|, 800 negroes. In his travels lie ha
y made sketches Of the most fam0l