The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-02-18

dAhA 1ASut AdhAto AsAsAb@T WIZ Nv
effective, well-manned war vessels.
with supplies and ammunition
for the troops besieging yicksburg,
attempted to run the Port Hudson
batteries. A terrific engagement fol-
and for quite . while the fire
the fort and tho ships and the
burning Of woodwork BY the shells
the many big guns engaged,
made the night 50 bright that | almost
that one could have read al
newspaper. I have been In many very
hot places in battle, but that was the
heaviest bombardment | ever partici-
pated in.
CLOSE CALL FOR DEWEY.
1.-TWO OF Fsrragut,s vessels we're
but the other three succeeded
in passing the batteries under the
terrible rain Of shot and shell, and
proceeded up the river to render what
they could to the federal
sncamped around Vicksburg.
OF the two vessels destroyed q was
sunk and the other was set on fire by
the explosion Of . shell. On the latter
ship was George Dewey, now famous
as the hero Of Manila, then a midship-
man in the United States navy. To
save the crew his vessel was run ashore
on the federal side. opposite the fort.
The men hastily abandoned the doomed
ship, jumping into the river with more
dispatch than ceremony, waded or
swan ashore.
1.-THE burning vessel was set adrlft
and left 10 her fate. She drifted slowly
down the river, long otter all was
again silent around Port Hudson, and
the tired gunners were quietly sleeping
10 the gray dawn Of another day.
About 6 O'Clock the following morning
the flames resched the ship's magazine
and the vessel blew up, the terrific ex-
Pfosion sil fling the very earth for
seYerAi miles around.
al remember | was sleeping on q
plank said the colonel, 'And the
detouation seemed almost 70 shake me
of my rude, lmproyised bunk
" 'Yes,' said the colonel, dewey
was q midshipman or that vessel, and
we tried our best to kill him and all bis
crew. But be added, and the old
veterans eyes twinklsd pleasantly a,
be spoke, 4 am mighty glad w
didn't"
WANTED TO FIGHT A DCEL.
General Dsbney H. Msury, in hi
"Recollectious Of q yirginiau in tn
Mexican, Indian and Civil Wars" tell
Of Colonel, then Captain, Bledsoe, il
December, 1862. General Maury wa
ct Granada, Florida, on the day befor'
Christmas, when be repeiyed an srde
TO move his division Of the CONFEDERATE
army to Yicksburg at once to relnforc'
General Stephen d. Lee, who had jus
been attacked BY General Sherman
The troops went by rail to Jackson
General Maury, In speaking Of the trip
says:
1.-THE train bearing the T~hirty-6ftl
Mississippi and Bledsoe's battery wa
detained 10 jackson seysral hours
Colonel Barry and Captain Bledso
we're capital good fellows and goo
friends. Barry vas one Of the pos
popular and eloqueu, men Of Aissis
sippi. Genial and humorous, he neVe
seemed 10 harbor 10 unkind thought
Bledsoe was one Of the most dlstin
guished battery captains Of Price
MIssourlans. They we're conyivial tina
night and occupied q box car together
10 winch, after some hours Of cOugeuia
enjoyment, they rolled themselves Il
their blankets and slumbered. Bledso'
was almost slT feet aud three inche
tall, and paid but little attention 4
any elegance Of attire. he wore boot
Of extraordinary size and length. whicI
!, came half way up his long legs an,
we're innocent o; any coloring save tn
native yellow Of the unpublished hide.
BARRY woke first and seeing Bled
soe'g great boots standing BY, called
Negro and gave him . dollar 10 blacI
them. The dsrky performed his tasl
well, replacing them carefully. The
Barry aroused Bledsoe, told him Ii wa
time TO be up and lay chuckling a
BlsdSoe seercbed the car for bis yello'
boots.
"When Of last be realized that tn
freshly blackened pair before him wer
; bis own, and that be had furnished fuI
|, for the company, his wrath ARCS
against Barry and he challenged bin
~ Q dgel. hut that joyial colone
declined 10 hght him becapye be wa
only o captain and he could moi lbinl
Of waving rank.
"Poor Barry died Of consumption
soon after the war, loved and lamente'
BY sl classes Of people. Bledsoe
when ] last heard Of him, was Q pros
porous business man 10 Missouri, wherl
everyone respected him."
----. -
Next Wednesday will be Washing
tqEs birthday. Washington was ono,
president o. the pnIIsa States, snC
could not tell . lie. There have besI
some presidents since his time who
could tel a dozen when only o vaI
necessary