The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-09-28
THE sHARPsHooTERs, DUEL

| VI HouoT DIT the marriage or the late
Queen Victoria. AS a British soldier
he reached America in 1850, soon af-
ter bought his discharge and became
a citizen of the United States. At
the outbreak of the Civil war he en-
listed in the Union army in the same
company with his son and served to
the close.
His mature judgme nt and unerring
Workmanship brought him under the
notice of his colonel. who asked him
to volunteer for sharpshooting duty.
On account of the extreme danger
attendant upon this class of work,
men were not ordered to perform it.
but volunteers We're called for. Mas
terson promptly offered his services
and became Union sharpshooter.
| The peculiar nature of the case
makes it necessary that sharp
shooter be under less physica! re.
straint than probably and other man
in the army, with the exception of the
spy. While on duty his life is in con-
slant danger, and its preservation de-
ponds entirely upon his own discre-
ton. His time is by no means occu-
pied in picking off important officers
from among the enemy, but more Of
zen in duels with sharpshooters on the
other side. who are his equal in cum
ming and skill
1t was while the war was raging
along the southern boundary of Ten
nessee that the wing of the army in
| which Masterson belonged was sore
| ly beset by the cnemy's sharpshoot
ers Most of these Confederate rifle
! men were well known by the Union
soldiers. There was some peculiar
ity in mode of operation or sound oil
| the gun which distinguished one from
| the other, and as time went along
glimpscs of them were caught, so that
even the rank and file of the federal
| soldiers had a good idea Of what these
dangerous men were like
One of them was dubbed Sure
| death, and there was good reason
| Tor giving him the name. He was the
prince of Confederate sharpshOOters
| At any hour of the day the clear crack
| of his rifle might sound. AMI the men
| always looked to see who the victim
was, for there was always one, either
killed outright or MORALLY wounded
When the battle was on he fired his
fatal shots at none but officers, but
between whites common dough
boy made him a good target. The
Yankees soon had so high an opinion
of this mans ability that when any
important officer fell the loss was
forthwith charged to "Suredeath."
One evening the colonel sent an or
derby to the company quarters with
| instructions for Masterson to report
at once at his tent.
| "Snrpnant " cai1 fbo co1opol Utb;c
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 I'M
dcrstand--npon you, to silence that
murderous gun of his"
| Masterson went back to his quar-
ters turning the situation in his mind
We was acquainted with the habits of
he Confederate. for he had tried to
bag him before this time He made
up his mind that the following day
would see the end of either Sure
death or himself. He told his son.
| who slept near, of his orders from the
colonel and his determination. He
gave the young man a few lrinkets
to take home as keepsakes in case he
did not return. crept under his shelter
ten and slept like log
He awoke in the early morning be-
fore either the soldiers in blue or
| gray We're astir. He prepared his
breakfast of bacon and black coffee.
After eating he put some bareback in
his havcrsack, filled his canteen from
a nearby spring, slung his rifle over
his shoulder and set out through the
wet grass in the direction of the hos
tile army.
About 9 O'Clock the mists had roll,
ed up the hills and the sun was shin,
ing brightly. Lying hidden behind a
fallen tree. entirely screened by a
clump of bushes, Masterson caught a
meeting glimpse of his enemy creep.
ing along the ground. but no shot Of
fered itself "Suredeath" was safely
stationed in tree before the Union
man again found out where he was
The familiar sound of his gun and the
smoke floating away from the tree
then disclosed his whereabouts. Mas
terson watched closely. After time
he saw the muZZle of "Suredeath's
rifle protruiing just 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 "Sureleath's" body was and
fired, Instantly shifting his position
away from the smoke made by the
discharge. 1t was probably sur
prise 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 sharp
shooting duel began. Masterson hat
a slight advantage. for after taking
a shot he could change his position
slightly. while his opponent was fore
ed to stay upon the same limb, behind
: the same part of the tree trunk. an(
could not descend. Each employee.
the usual tactics of drawing the 9th
ers fire by holding his hat as if its
owner was peering out and of letting
/, an empty coat sleeve peep out from
cover.
The Confederate certainly realized
that he had no ordinary SharnShoO;e u,