The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-08-25
'sToNEwALr" JAcKsoN's COURIER.
Wounded sixty-seven Times aud Decorated
by the Gear.
(From the New Haven Register. }


Major Lamar Fontaine, who arrived in
the city yesterday morning. is probably
one of the most interesting veterans of
the Confederacy. He is the only repre-
sentative of Camp Sam Cammack Of
Koohoma county, Mississippi, and during
his stay in the city will be the guest of
Capt. John Milledge on Trinity avenue.
Major Fontaine has been soldier near
ly all his life, and the story of his adven-
lures in all parts of the world sounds like
fiction.
He served in the Russian Army during
the Crilnean war, and at the siege of Sc
bastopol was decorated by Gar Nicholas
with the iron cross of honor for
bravery during the battle. At the tiIue
of the memorable chSrge of the Light
Brigade at Balaklava, Major Fontaine
was sixteen miles away, but could hear
the guns and see the smoke of that IA
nous BATTLE
After leaving the Russian Army he
travelled about the world in company
with an uncls, but was living in the
South at the opening of the civil war.
and enlisted as private in the Tenth
Mississippi Rifles. and was later trans
ferred to Company K, Eighteenth Missis-
sippi Regiment. While a member of this
regiment, in August. 1861. he wrote the
well-known poem ''AH Quiet Along the
Potomac" which has since been widely
copied all over the ID.
He began his war work with the Con-
federate army as scout and courier for
Gen. Stonewall jackson. He served in
the same capacity with Gems. Stuart and
Johnston, and briefly with Gen. Lee He
took part in twenty seven pitched battles,
fifty seven skirmishes and over hundred
Individual skirmishes in which blood
was shed. Although he was but a pri-
vate in the ranks he was at one time in
trusted with carte blanche order on the
Treasury of the Confederate States. He
was known in all branches of the Con-
federate service as the best marksman
with rife or revolver in either army.
He was wounded sixty-seven times, and
thirteen times his lungs were pierced.
Five times in the course of the war he
he was able, with the aid-ef mirrors, to
look into an aperture in his flesh and watch
the beating of his own heart.
Major Fontaine has kept complete
diary for nearly forty years, and this in
itself is an unusually interesting work,
comprising d number Of volumes and
containing much valuable information.
He also has many documents signed by
prominent officers Of the Confederate ar
my bearing testimony to his remarkable
craftsmanship
ss"Yes," said Major Fontaine last
night. sit would seem as though l had
spent the most of my life on the battle
field. My life has been rather eventful in
a way, and + think that have had few
interesting experiences.
"These documents I have saved all
through the war, and while they may be
interesting and valuable care for them
only for the sake of my children. 1t will
be something to leave them when l am
gone, and i have managed to preserve
them in good condition for tho last thirty
years"
auished appearance, and wears COM
plete uniform, which was made especial
~ for him to be worn at the reunion of
veterans. He is a civil engineer by pro-
fession, and is engaged in bu siness with
his two sons at Lyon, Miss.