The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1901-02-20


burg: Mcpherson, at Atlanta; Sedg-
wick, at Spottsylvania; Stonewaii
Jackson, at charlottesville, ana Al
bert Sidney Johnston, at Shiloh. keyh-
olds. Mcpherson and Sedgwick prop
ably fell under the aim OF sharpshool-
ers who recognized their game, Du'
the others were mere chance shots.
The long range naval and seacoast
guns are counted upon to do wonders
in the way of accurate shooting, out
I'D to the present results have not Deeh
marvellous. At Santiago the Ameri-
can ships ran close in to the SpanlardS
TO use them up, and the telling shots
Of destruction were fired at or under
1000 wards. When the Brooklyn and
Oregon were chasing the Colon, the
Oregon landed - inch she'll just
ahead of the Spaniard and another AT
about the same distance In her wake.
Then the Spaniard struck her colors.
for the sharpshooting Americans were
gaining in the race, and it was only
question Of time when one of the LOCO
pound missiles might blow the Colon
out Of the w:ter. These two shots
were made at over 5000 yards range.
The English are careful of their naval
gunnery and are at present boasting OF
feat at 1000 yards range, about
which there can be no mistake. The
target was floating and was II feet
square. The time allowed was two
minutes, and out of 13 shots fired the
gunner landed II on the target. At the
time of firing the steamer carrying the
gun was moving at the rate of IL knots
an hour.
For deadly execution the best shot OF
the civil war and perhaps in all the
annals of naval warfare was fired in
an action scarcely known to history.
The gun was a 81 FOUNDER naval rifle
which had been landed on the bluffs OF
White river, Arkansas, to repel the ad-
vance of Federal gunboats up stream.
The United States ironclad Mound
City attacked the land battery and
moved up within 900 yards. Lieuten-
ant Huntington directed the firing OF
the guns of his own ship, which were
on land, and after the Mound City
came into unobstructed view by round
ing point in the bluffs he fired shot
which entered the port casemate for
ward of the armor and went straight
through the steam drum. At the gun
where the shell entered men were
killed. BY the explosion of the steam
drum "A We're scalded to death or suf-
located in the caSemate. IS who jump
ed into the water to relieve their pain
met death there, and % were wounded.
Veterans of the second attack upon
Fort Fisher often recall a famous shot
made by Gun Captain King of the
United States arm0rclad IronsideS. Aft
er the Federal infantry had preached
the walls of the fort and were lighting
from traverse to traverse it became
very delicate operation to fire from the
ships and not drop shells among
friends. But the practice was splen-
did, and finally the commander OF the
Ironsldes directed King TO try shot up
on the fifth traverse of the fort, where
the Confederates were holding out
against the assailants, fighting almost
at arms length. 1t was near dark, ana
if the traverse did not soon give in the
whole position might have to be given
up by the Federal troops. King fired.
and the shell exploded in the center or
the traverse, completely demoralzlnS
its defenders. With rush the asSall-
inc troops went forward, and the
bloody struggle of an hour and halt
was crowned with victory.
At the siege OF Petersburg artillery
duels were so frequent that they came
to be looked upon as pastime Tor the
cunners and idle troops in the trenches.
As the opposing lines were close the
termination to see what a we'll posted
gun could do in n crisis was yer!
great. The artilIeriStS i'll Fort Dam
nation" rs the Confederate Fort Ma
hone was popularity called, and the
Federals in Fort HELL" just opposite
were solely responsible for the nick
taching to their batteries. \ faYorite
trick with the gunners in Fort He'll
was to shoot down the hagStaH OF
Fort DamnatiOn." A battery OF the
famous New Orleans Washington arttI-
lery manned the guns in Fort pam
nation" and its captain learned from
a deserving bounty jumper that party
of general officers frequently met Tor
consultation in the tents which could
be seen on the parade grounds of Fort
He'll" The exact hour of the meet
ing could be determined by Il group OF
saddle horses hitched III the shelter OF
the parapet back Of the fort. Two
guns were trained on the target anu
the best marksman in the battery Sc
iected to demolsh the tents. y crowd
of Interested spectators looked OF
through the embrasures and ports or
Fort Damnation." and when the tents
l. . t,,,t. AN IJatrs