The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-23
/ Lamar Fonta;4e--One of Sout1,'s Famous Figures

form with the position described in the
poem.
1t is Major Fontaine's contention that
during those days of antagonism, no fed
eraI sympathizer would have made hero
of the Confederate picket, while on the
other hand. Confederate sympathizer
would choose a picket of his own people
to whom to dedicate verse.
Miss Biers was native of Boston, and
claimed that the poem first appeared in
Harper's Weekly i'm November. 1861. Ma
jor Fontaine claims that he wrote the
poem during the fall of 1861. and that it
was printed in Charleston in October of
that year.
Conditions Under Which He Wrote Ii
In telling of the conditions under which
he wrote the poem and the events which
prompted its writing, Major Fontaine
gives a most graphic description of the
conditions surrounding the soldiers life
in 1861 when the armies of the north and
south lay confronting each other along
the shores of the Potomac.
On the night previous to the writing
OF the poem, Major Fontaine in company
with man by the name of Moore was
assigned beat along the Confederate
shore of the river. Moore had recently
received a letter from his young wife,
who with the children at home, was
awaiting with feverish impatience the
news from the front, and praying for the
safekeeping of the young husband who
had sacrificed the pleasures of his home
and family for the principles he believed
to be right
He was in the act of reading the letter
to Fontaine when they were accosted by
a picket from across the river and asked
il they would like to exchange papers.
Major Fontaine. then private, waded
out to the middle of the river and the
exchange was effected While convefs-
ing with his foeman, Fontaine was in
vited to take supper with small federal
detachment which was stationed nearby,
and putting on a federal overcoat, he ac-
cepted. During the course of the evening
the federal lieutenant who was in charge
of the small detachment spoke of the
unnecessary loss of life that was caused
by the guerrilla warfare between the
pickets of the two armies, which he
claimed was without gcause and which
gained nothing for either side. He stated
that If Fontaine would see to it that the
Confederates put stop to the promiscu-
GUS firing at that point that he would
see to it that his men would do so.
Signed an Agreement
Fontaine agreed and the two men drew
up and signed a contract to this effect
Upon returning to his camp, Fontainc
made known the agreement to the Con-
federate pickets at that point, and these
readily acquiesced in carrying it out.
That night, not fearing a chance shot
from the opposite lines. Fontaine built
a fire near the termination of his beat
a luxury which he had feared to enjoy
for some months-and paced back and
forth in full view of the fire. Toward
early morning, he wakened Moore to re-
lieve him. but scarcely had his COM
panion arisen from his bed in the sha-
dows and approached the freight. when
a shot rang out from across the river,
and the young Confederate pitched for
ward upon the ground, pierced through
the temple by a federal bullet
II ran at once to him. said Major
Fontaine in describing the incident, "and
saw gush of blood pour from his scull
and his brains scattered upon paper
upon which he had fallen. Almost
paralyzed by the tragedy that had over
taken my young companion sat contem-
plating the scene in a sort of dazed
stupor I felt almost like a murderer
forA accepting the agreement of the fed
eral lieutenant and thus exposing Moore
to the fire of the enemy by building the
campfire. Then-for l was hotblooded
then, and saw but one side of the great
question which had disrupted a nation-I
knet by my companion and fervently
prayed to the God who held the universe
in the hollow of his hand to give me the
power to wreak revenge upon my hated
enemy
'I prayed for Workmanship that would
make my name one to be feared in the
camp of the federals. Gladly, l thought,
would I be willing to lay beside him, but
not until after / had lived to keep the
memory of his death before me to spur
me on to a service that might add its
mite in winning the cause for which my
people were struggling
Gently Raised Companion
Gently | raised my dead companian
from the position in which he had fallen,
and upon the paper beneath his head.
clotted with the blood that so recently
coursed his veins, I read in bold type
across the page: All quiet along the Po-
tomac.'
1.-THE bitter irony of the words burned !
into my brain as l clasped the body of
my dead companion to my bosom and
thought of the young wife and children
back in Virginia who were praying for
the safety of their dear one upon the
field of battle. l seized the paper, and
there before the light of the campfire
and. with the body of the dead soldier at
my side, dashed off the first few verses
of the poem All Quiet Along the Poto-
mac
Later these were added to. and I dis
tributed copies of them to Confederate
picketS along our lines IL was not until