Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-11-08
THE BOOMING CANNON
sEciTALs OF CAMP AND SAT.
TILE INCIDENTS.

~ ~ NCbtSkIuOn Acute
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag.
ing Experiences and Battle Scenes.
Masternan, now nearing his Goth year,
who acted a. Il guard at the marriage
of Queen Victoria and who fought as IL
sharpshooter in the Union ranks during
the Civil War. 1t was while the war
was raging along the southern boun-
Gary OF Tennessee that the wing of the
army in which Mastcrm mn belonged
was sorely beset by the enemy's sharp
shooters. Most OF these Confederate
rillemen We're we'll known to the Union
soldiers There was some peculiarly
in mode of operation OF sound of the
gun which distinguished one from the
other. and as time went along glimpses
of them were caught, so that even the
rank and file of the Federal soldiers
had Il good idea of what these danger
Gus mel We're like.
One OF them was dubbed Sure
DEATH and there was good reason for
giving him the name. He was the
prince of the Confederate snarpshoot-
ers. AT any hour of the day the clear
crack Of his rifle might sound, and the
mel always looked to see who the VIC
tim Was, for there was always one
either killed outright or mortally
wounded. One evening the colonel sent
an orderly to the company quarters
with instructions for Masterman to re-
port at once at his tent.
Sergeant" said the colonel, this
man 'Suredeath' must be stopped. Not
a day passes but he gets some of our
men. The next thing he'll do will be
to kill the general himself. Now, I'm
going to depend upon you-do you un-
derstand--upon you, to silence that
murderous gun of his.
Masterman went back to his quarters
turning the situation in his mind. He
was acquainted with the habits of the
Confederate, for he had tried to bag
him before this time. He made up his
mind that the following day would see
the IL of either ''Suredeath'' or him
|>Ai' IAS WV iii' ooil, NV lSlJL iiNkti,
Of his orders from the colonel and his
determination. He gave the young man
4 few trinketS to take home as keep
salses in case he did not return, crept
under his shelter tent and silent like q
log.
lie awoke in the early morning before
either the soldiers in blue or gray were
astir. lie prepared his breakfast OF
bacon and black coffee. After eating,
he put some bareback in his haversack,
filled his canteen from Il nearby spring,
slung his rifle over his shoulder and
set out in the wet grass in the direc-
ton of the hostile army. About 0 o'clock
the mists had rolled up the hills and
the Il was shining brightly. Lying
hidden behind q fallen tree, entirely
screened by Il clump of bushes, Master
man caught Il fitting glimpse of his
enemy creeping along the ground, but
no shot offered itself. "Suredeath''
was safely stationed in q tree before
the Union nan again found out where
he a The familiar sound OF his gun
and the smoke fioating away from the
tree then disclosed his whereabouts.
Masterman watched closely. After a
time he saw the muazle of Sure
deaths" rifle %protruding from beyond
the leaves. The man was again taking
aim at some Union soldier. The blue
coated veteran, lying behind the log,
aimed his gun at a point where he
thought "Suredeath's'' body was and
fired, instantly shifting his position
away from the smoke made by the dis
charge. 1t VAS probably a surprise to
the Confederate. although nothing on
his part betrayed the fact. His rifle
muzzle disappeared among the leaves.
The presence of each was now known
to the other, and the sharpshooting duel
began. Masterman had Il slight advan-
tage. for after Il shot he could change
his position slightly, while his opponent
wa forced to stay upon the same limb,
behind the same part of the tree
trunk. and could not descend. Each
employed the usual tactics of drawing
each others fire by holding his hat as
if its owner was peering out and Of let
ting an empty coat sleeve peep inno-
Gently from v
The Confederate certainly realized
that he had no ordinary sharpshooter
opposed to him. Sometimes Il half hour
would so by with no perceptible move
nient on the part of either. AT one time
an hour passed in absolute quiet. When
that silence was broken. however, it
was by "%Suredeath' pulling the trigger,
and the bullet made Il flesh wound in
Masterman's hand and cut a jagged
hole through the stock of his rifle. The
duel lasted four hours before Master
maj finally sent in Il lucky shot, and
saw the otter man tumble from the
tree. At this sight all Masterman's
hatred vanished. 1t was nc longer the
numbering rebel s~llatpshooter. but n
dead or wounded mans If the latter.
humanity called upon him to do some
fling. Ue made His way to tho h,sn Of