Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 September 1880 — Its Effect. [ARTICLE]

Its Effect.

A month before the bombardment of Fort Fisher began, the celebrated powder explosion occurred which was intended to blow down this solid earthwork, a mile in' extent, with forty feet traverses, every few yards. Its ridiculous failure is well remembered. That night after the explosion of the powdership, some pickets on the beach were captured and carried on board the Admiral’s ship. Among them was a very solemn looking fellow who sat silently and sadly chewing tobacco. As there was intense curiosity among the officers of the fleet to know the result of the remarkable experiment, one of them asked the solemn looking “Reb” if he was in the fort when the powder-ship exploded; to which he replied in the affirmative —but without exhibiting the least interest in the matter; whereupon the officers gathered around him and began to ask questions. “You say you were inside the fort?*’ "Yaas, I was tliar.” “What was the effect of the explosion?” “Mighty bad, sir—powerful bad?” "Well, what was it? Speak out.” “Why, stranger, hit waxed up pretty near every man in the fort I”