The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-01-26
SOLDIERS BUDGET.
Tales Of the War.

| ltnOblhR COuIhkt hhN
gray eyes that are dreamy and wistful
| when the temperament is calm and in
repose, but blazing with furious light
under the excitement OF recollection;
hands that are delicate as woman's
IN construction, but twisted and gnarl-
I'd from the hard use TO which they
have been put; a voice that is musical
| and soft; lips thin and straight cut, and
II heavy growth of hair and beard that
are just beginning to be streaked with
grsy-these are the distinguishing ply
steal characteristics Of Lamar Fontaine.
Though with weight Of sixty-eight
years piled upon his shoulders and the
scars of sixty.seven bullet wounds
marking his slight frame, he Is neither
bent nor misshapen. Mr.. Fontaine's
adventurous life began at the early age
of ten. He was captured by Comanche
| Indians in Texas and borne off by
| these savages to their retreat in the
vicinity of what is now Sioux City, la
For four years they kept him captive.
Then the band made it's way TO Mexico,
and he escaped across 750 miles of sun
baked desert.
An uncle, Mirabeau Lamar was then
| President of the Texas republic. He
remained with his uncle at Austin two
years, and then was transferred to the
care of another relative still more ia.
mous-Commodor Maury, who map
ped the trackless SEES. For more than
ten years he was, as the amanuensis of
this great sailor, accompanying him on
all his voyages. From 1867 to 1860
Mr.. Fontaine was secretary OF the
American Legation in Nicaragua. His
kinsman, President Lamar, was United
States Minister TO that country during
most of this period. He was in Nj
caragua when the war broke out in the
| United States, and he fastened home
| to throw himself into that conflict.
He bears with him on his travels a
certificate from Gen. r. E. Lee testify
ing that Fontaine shot and killed go
Federal soldiers in 60 minutes, and an
other from Stonewall ackson, couched
in this startling lar guage:
81 believe that during his service
with me as sharpshooter Lamar Fon-
tame killed more of the enemy than
were killed by any company in my COM
msnd."
Fontaine began as scout and courier
for Stonewall jackson. He served
in the same capacity with Gen.
Stewart and Joe Johnston, and a
short while with Lee. Me took part in
81 pitched battles, SO skirmishes, and
over 100 individual skirmishes," as he
called them. He is known in all
branches of the Confederate service as
the best marksman with rife or re-
volver in either army. He was wound
ed 81 times and 10 times his lungs
were pierced. Twice his heart was
grazed, and three scratches caused that
organ to 80 enlarge that skillful pbysi-
clans today who Examine him without
knowing his history, will declare that
ne is liable to die within "a hours
1t was in the battle of Waterloo
Bridge, in August, 1862, Immediately
prior to the second battle of Manassas,
that Gen. Lee witnessed Fountaine's re-
markable feat of "killing 60 Yankees
in go minutes" Slcnewall jackson
was thanking Pope. Jackson's sharp
shooters had possession OF long frame
house, and had been pouring death into
Pope's ranks for an hour or more when
Lee rode up. He had heard of Foun-
taine's skill, and sought him out to
witness his work. With his field glass
Gen. Lee was enabled to get a good
view OF the man as Fountaine picked
them out for slaughter.
A battery was pouring a continual
stream of fire into the Confederate
sharpshooters. "Train your glass on
No. l and gun No. l." Fontaine
said to the commander, "and you will
see him jump into the air, and another
man will have to take his place
at the gun" In this way Fontaine
picked out all his men for Gen. Lee,
and didn't miss one OF them. When he
had killed go Lee told him to quit the
deadly work.
Doesn't your conscience ever hurt
you when you do work of this kind
inquired the General of the sharp
shooter. Fontaine smiled" Why,
General" he replied, "when enlisted
in the army it was with the understand.
ing that was expected to kill as many
of the enemy as could. II bad any
conscientious scuples against it l would
quit the army. Don't you expect us
10 kill"
Beyond doubt the most remarkable
feat accomplished by FOntaine during
the war was the carrying of dispatches
and percussion caps to the beleagurec
army of Pemberton at Vicksburg wher
that city was being stOrmed by the
Federals. Memphis was in the hands
of the enemy, and Fontaine, acting al
a spy and in disguise, had been there
! for a month picking up what informa'
ton he could for the benefit Of Gen. j
e. Johnston.
One day there came summons fol
him to report to johnson at once. 81
simultaneously the Federals got knowl
!. edge of Fontaine's orders and his pres
ence in Memphis. The desire to cap
. ture 80 shrewd spy and expert sharp
shooter had become so great that re
ward of $4,000 was offered for hin
dead or alive. Troops were dispatched
to cover all the roads leading south IL
the hope OF intercepting and either cap
turing or killing FOntaine. But b.
avoided them and reported on time Il
his general at Jackson for orders. TIL
orders were for him to carry dispstche
and 10000 musket caps through thu
: Federal lines and into the city OF Vicks
! burg.
Vicksburp was surrounded by 1900