The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-08-25


between US and James Island, was
full Of fine oysters and when the tide
was down we built fires near an oyster
bed and then roasted and ate those
delicious bivalves until we had taken
on as large cargo amidship as could
comfortably be slowed away. There
was one man in our company, how
ever, who never left the creek until
the tide drove him away. His name
was Reynolds-Dr. Sarah Reynolds
a genial, jovial comrade. He used to
say that if the tide did not run him
away that he could keep on eating I'M
til he could hide behind the empty
shells, and always seemed to regret
that the tide would not hold itself
back until he proved the assertion.
Writing about Doc. Reynolds calls to
my mind another character in our
company and a little matter which he
pulled off while our company was on
Goat Island acting as artillerymen.
This party was Corporal B. M. Shuler.
We used to call him "Porgy," because
in his architectural structure he SEEM
ed to fill the build exactly of Capt.
Porgy, one of the characters of Will
lam Gilmore Simms in several of his
revolutionary romances. Porgy was
like the earth in one respect-his
largest proportion was around the
equator, but here the comparison ends,
for he was not Slightly fattened at
the poles," for he was quite tail
enough and his limbs we'll proportions
ed. He was a jolly, happy-go-lucky
fellow, laughed much and when he
laughed he laughed all over. Now
Porgy had lady's. gold watch and
neck chain. 1t was a beautiful and
valuable outfit, and he determined to
rattle it off for $50 chances at one
dollar chance. Any one could take
as many chances as he wishes provid-
ed he had the coin. took one chance
and put up my simoleon. The chances
were soon all taken and the time fixed
when all who had taken chances were
to meet at the comporal's tent to see
who was to be the lucky one to own
that watch and chain. 1t was to be
decided by throwing dice, the one
throwing the highest number being
the winner. Three dice cubes were
used and three throws allowed, thus
giving possible maximum score of
81. l did not get to the appointed
place until late and 24S of the $50
chances had been thrown for and no
one had scored over 48. L then threw
and scored 81 and there was only one
more chance to be thrown for and that
was held by private by the name of
w. A. Moody, who came in just as my
score had been announced. He looked
at the record and turned to me and
said, "Give me five dollars for my
chance and you may have it." I said,
mo, sir, it is useless for you to throw
for you can't beat my score" He
then said, "Well give me my dollar
back and you may have my chance"
| still declined as / felt cock sure that
he would never go over or reach my
score. He then said, Cali right; give
me the bones" He threw, and
jacta est alia-he scored 50! AS old
Aesop said "heac fabula docet," that
bird you think is in your hand is
still in the bush"-though this is no
fable. Well, expect somebody will
say, "Served you right; you had no
business gambling" Probably it was
gambling am not debating that
question just now, but if it was
gambling then how about Moody :?
Why did it not hit him in the neck in
stead of spending its entire dynamic
force on poor innocent by-stander"
like me? In the nine months we spent
on Coles Island there were only two
affairs that broke the monotony of
the regular camp duties and caused
some excitement among the troops.
There were always one or more war
lying out guarding the Stono Inlet to
prevent any blockade runner coming
in or going out. Every once in awhile
some daring sea captain of the mer-
chant marine would run out with a
cargo of cotton and if he got away
all right, as they sometimes did; later
on he uould coroe hack with a caroo
of arms, coffee, drugs, etc., and then
make dash to get into some port in
the Confederacy. So the blockading
squadron was kept busy all along the
coast watching for and trying to cap
ture these daring blockade runners.
One day one of the blockading squad
ron was seen steaming slowly into the
inlet towards Coles Island, with her
deck cleared for action. The assembly
was beat and in short order our troops
were all under arms, with Lucas bat
talon manning the guns at Fort Pal
metto and the Edisto Rifles manning
the battery on Goat Island. Slowly
and cautiously the war vessel came
steaming IN towards US, while we at
our guns were ready and anxious for
her to get within range of our shot.
Presently from the port side, puff!
puff! and two white patches of smoke
were seen to arise and very quickly
the water In the bay was torn and
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