Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-09-16

nufs you Wueu you DO Work OF tni!
kind ? inquired the General OF tn.
sharpshooter.
Fontaine smiled. why, Genef'
al he replied when ! enlisted in
the army it was with the under
standing that was expected to Kill
~ many Of the enemy as could,
If had any conscientious scruplei
against it / would quit the army,
Don't you expect us to kill?"
Beyond doubt the most remark.
able feat accomplished by Fontains
during the war was the carrying oi
dispatches and percussion caps te
the beleagured army Of Pembcrton
at Vicksburg when the city was be-
ing stormed by the Federals. A,
that time Memphis was in the hands
of the enemy. and Fontaine, acting
as spy and in disguise, had been
there for month picking up what
information he could for the benefit
Of General Joseph Il. Johnston,
who had his headquarters at Jack
son, Miss. One day there came o
summons for him to report to Gen.
eral Johnston at once. Simultan-
eously the Federals got knowledge
Of Fontaine's orders and his pres
ence in Memphis. The desire to
capture so shrewd spy and expert
q sharpshooter had become so great
that a reward of $50, 900 was offered
for him dead or live. Troops were
dispatched to cover all the roads
leading south in the hope Of inter-
ceptlng aud either capturing or
killing Fontaine. But he avoided
them and reported on time to his
General ct jackson for orders. The
orders were for him to carry dis
patches and 10000 musket caps
through the Federal lines and into
the city Of vicksburg.
The appalling difficulty of this
undertaking may be judged by the
fact that vicksburg was surround
ed by $4,000 Union soldiers under
command of Grant. All Of the APP
proaches to the city were controlled
and carefully guarded by the Fede.
rails. And there was a reward of
5000 for Fontaine. But this
intrepid soldier understood the val
ne Of discretion as well as the nec-
essity for courage. He set out on
his journey. lie avoided all thor
oughfares. In complete disguise
and under cover of darkness he
passed through the Federal lines in
o small canoe and delivered his dis
patches and caps safely to General
Pemberton. After spending three
or four days in Vicksburg he
undertook the per;lous return trip
to jackson with dispatches from
Pemberton to Johnston.
It was while coming out of Vicks-
burg that he met with his most ex-
citing adventure. The relation of
it sounds apocryphal. lie floated
down the river at night to q point
about Is miles below Vicksburg.
Landing, he procured a horse and
riding in the direction of Jackson,
he had to cross the Big Black Riv-
er. Every ford and ferry on this
stream was carefully guarded by
the Federals. He rode into the
guard at one of these ferries. In
the twinkling Of an eye $50 rifles
were leyeled at him. He realized
that the only way to get out of the
trap alive was to make q bold dash.
Streaks Of red death came to him
from all directions. He spurred
his horse and the frightened animal
plunged straight ahead. Three
bullets struck Fontaine. Two of
them shattered his right leg and
arm and the other one penetrated
his left breast He chung to his
horse and kept lashing the animal
with what strength was left Of him.
Strangely enough the Federals did
not pursue him.
A full description Of this adven-
ture ia contained in a history Of the
Civil War written by the Marquis
of Lothian. The Marquis thus
speaks Of it:
.Of deeds Of individual heroism,
like Lamar Fontaine's expedition
to vicksburg and back, think that
il one were to select single in.
stance of q valiant deed as repre-
sentative Of the Confederate ex
ploits during this war, this have
mentioned would be the one.'
A. .sI