The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-05-29
FIRED BY ALIEN HANDS.
Nicholas Crouch, Author of Kathleen
Mavourneen, Reputed to Have Sped
the First Cannon. Shot in Field Action.

>sAOs
Perhaps no better history concerning
the first cannon-balI fred i'm field battle
in the war of the rebellion can be had
tbon n copv of the statement made under
oath of the marty from whom it was OBJ
famed. which is as follows:
CIV 1s71 nv, h,,f.sister Nice Hannah
~ % ~! i i ISL ."aahor
u. Dril nv, was app1aii'tu yiro;ria
aIlohs Tue t toiJieu peUp'Wy .,rr-;oi- Snmrt
i u nis' senooi was ~
iiU ..NIu a.;.s .horo .ho bod ouo,o
a my ,.niorod 49, namad MntbayS
H nIi nthoiai' ~ hoS fa.,narI, i;,,ad NJ PIC
pn.I'sI Ch,,rlh n nr pc Ra;bai Cross;n@
I He.iai Cnua i,a.o ~, hoh ,,',ch ;rtarost in
W! siei ~. nd u .. ~ go 81 Tho
any tmns III III aInrod on en s,au.lb+nr Of
IeDellGn ne - inn, of ;nta,eSt
oeH .u WI MY W 81 Hamn,
soliis ~ ioi h'Smm, mi ~ f;,..o,;oasI
soi, nno;a tL" ~ IL ,'ort 90 The war
neitS. Dui ing .nu Lnd 10 ~, a,o-w;t-
Ma.h " "ra af .ha i si,i,u,;shos int tool
htss " man. VI tne a1road, .Aa 1smoa
piace apou. 'nv rGITnaes $500 nf tho
anu MaS an uh ~ ii, ,l,, IT, ah,nt
nshI at niS ne.nei . ne.meen %. la f,nr,
y, %. r. Pu.iei .doop 80 sen nf ,ohol I'M
rortIesS MONTH";, anu 1871 bous VI nd lenei, 70,
s,encmeu "l nhis at.ia fu,,ab+ on
Us IN zoe, as
q YIN NJ IL io't S,.h+o,. ho,,so smol,
Maam nt,N. t.nrae ond nartIv loo offa;r
low, Phru. lam Ia tho anu inot;o, .f t5o rnads
n m"n ,.,d from Sewnort News To Rig Bethel
IN .i ~ 49,, ~ H,mntan The
a anu me aotu t thn fght tonL niaco oronnS
not 1 pa" ~; % hn,sa IT, frlt of the f;r.
am: li.a, t ;,,nt Tofo dar.,lrht nnd toll
,u i Va - 49, t,,.n RIO doto cbments
pa pa IL - ~, otbar Gov. ,bo
VINO ha1 n,i iis fr;n aiarrad tho raheiS
n., III ,'s,,ai ~ fro -, H. TTnin,'
anu .hes az ohoe op th me he n .n tb,.
I,oops, anu uio' nm 90 90 u, -; -" H.
I1anptoH hoau' IN aoo9l ~ 81 li hra,.o t th
oihl9i iTltes tta;n in.ro, .ahu
iep ..u pash ii'o ne, ~ - ~ frst
Inc nLlhs On po'ii stues ma - q, o III
Only py lhe iiiinhts, pui ai.ei mt reuets
were driven oach mo tne.i i h,'s
both sides USED ar!iiief!, the repg gs oeim
tne hrst 10 open WIN pig guns: ne 81 M :,
Shot passed over tne neaas oi the gu ~;
T. ana emDedded ltseiI IN lhe WaiiS Vi
the mousse OF Mathew slausnter. Mathew
was standing not SIN IeeI from the piace
where the shot struck. Inc onloh Troops
TELL PACK Tor second tiine, ana hiialiy re-
treated toward rortress MONROE crossiiis
hampton creek before noon.
Al'er '4t nsn 3; Ma Ia NV; TTi.tino,
heipeI put tne pouies oi MAJ, w muir
ana Lieut. Gfepie. VINO mad oeeh Killed
IN the nsht; mo ms wagon, anu ur9ve 10
hampton creek ana deilVered me poGies
over TO the Union troops; four Gays al!eT i
the nght at Dig bethei Ine repel troops zen
back to Yorktown. Slaughter then re-
turned To ms mouse ana moved MS 1aIhll!
to Hampton, where he was employed as
servant by Gen. Pierce
I'm the Summer of 1867 Slaughter re-
turned and took up his residence IN his
Old house. lie told MISS Drlnkwater, MS
teacher, the facts already related, and said
he had often looked at the ball embedded
in the logs of hls Kitchen. but he never
dared to touch it. because he feared it
might he loaded shell. When the coored
man related his experience to his teacher.
cure it if possible. She succeeded in har-
ing the ball cut out of the logs. and then
satisfied herself from many inquiries that
the story of Mathew Slaughter was true
IN every particular.
I'm lSSO she. in company with others.
was at a musical entertainment gwen IN
Portland, Me-, in honor OF Nicholas
Crouch. the author of the well-known
song Kathleen Mavourneen: He having
mentioned that he served all through the
war as a member of the Richmond
Howitzers. Miss Drinkwater told him she
nad III her poSSesSion me hfSt Snot nreu
by that organization. she related TO MN
me cil u 'irey 'o,u' si' ing mn !.
lne iuii Pal'ieuiis' III. .t,t u s", - u
MaS ..ue NJ NJ, tse'! uet s ma! tne E ,.
I u,l l'lS 'He ~, iii NJ
an. ana ne ne remehnered perfectly h wen ana'
.me n's. Gun was "i1eu auo niSm anu
am English a and NOT an American m fred " the
s, '.t;i,a anu mo- al, +t a;I nf .ii
ms. ~, ar,n,! snot w ne me sS St " ,nslia