The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-10-21

of rifle was heard in our midst and
it was soon discovered that this party
was shot-the great toe on the right
foot was shot entirely off. He claim
ed that he had simply reversed his
gun and was resting on the butt with
the muzzle on his foot and that the
discharge was accidental. Well, may
be it vast is possible-but taking
everything that we knew of him be-
fore, his comrades could not, and did
not accept his version of the affair
This of course put him out of the
fight and he was sent back to the rear
to the surgeon, but it placed cloud
upon him from which he never did
emerge. When his wound had suffi-
GENTLY healed he was sent back to the
colors and he saw how his comrades
regarded him, but he never did, OF
tried to do any conspicuous brave OF
heroic act to remove the brand that
hung around him like a dark shadow
Poor fellow! Maybe he could not help
| it, for think some people are natur-
al-born, constitutional towards and
they just can't help it no matter how
hard they try, and in such case they
are really more to be pitied than cen
sured. Be that as it may, he did moi
attend the reunion of the survivors
and when his name was called no one
said anything, no heads were uncov-
| cred, but with common impulse ev.
erybody in the ranks turned their
heads and looked-to the rear.
All of the foregoing was brought
out by the question my friend asked
me as set forth near the beginning o.
this article and it will serve to show
how simple question will set the
mind on trail and flush up a whole lo'
of things that once one starts oui
after them he does not know when tx
stop and take up the things he really
intended to write when he began.
/ had not finished up with Morris
Island and Fort Wagner. There were
two things that occurred there that
wish to relate and will do so now
Both of them took place short while
before those last five days" of which
II told you in my last. Of course
communication had to be kept up be,
tween Wagner and Fort Gregg, which
was at Cummings Point, and as We
had no military telegraph line be
tween the two places, it had to be
done by couriers. At the time an
now writing of there were three
mounted couriers and as I told you il
my last there were only two routes
to travel-one on the beach when the
tide was out, and the other through
and over the ridges and sand dunes
When the tide was out, and the beach
thus available, they chose that, not
withstanding it was swept by the
guns of the fleet. A courier was
started off from Wagner to Gregg
with an important dispatch. He
mounted his pony horse and set out
at full speed along the beach, the
4
horses tail sticking straight out be-
hind, and the New Ironsides," one OF
| the most formidable war vessels then
in the U. S. navy opened up at him
not broadsides, but gun after gun in
quick succession, and somwhere or
/ the run a shell trimmed the horses
tail clean off close up to his rump!
The courier did not know it until he
reached Fort Gregg. | doubt if there
was another horse locked as quickly
and so neatly or so well up towards
the front. Now, I did not see this
incident with my own eyes, but / was
told of it a few days after it occurred
by several reliable persons who wit
messed it and vouched for its truth
fulness.
Another incident took place at Fort
Gregg and saw this myself as IT
happened that I was at Gregg at the
time on military business. The "New
Ironsidesn was throwing shells at in
tervals at Gregg but had done no
material damage up to that time, but
every now and then a big 15-inch
shell would strike the fort, or bomb