ant. This case is unique. Nothing but the stout heart of Sergeant
Gray made him a commissioned officer. He owed his promotion to no
political or personal influence with the Governor of Rhode Island.

Sergeant Frank Tucker, of Battery D, was a cool, brave man, and the best
shot in the whole battery. Some 600 or 700 yards from our lines, just in
the edge of a piece of woodland, a rebel sharpshooter, with a big target
rifle that sent explosive bullets, had secreted himself in a pine tree.
A number of men had been killed by him. General Ferrero had barely
escaped a bullet through his head. The general sent for me, as my
section was in position nearly opposite the sharpshooter, and requested
me to open fire upon him. I stated that nothing would please me better,
but as Lieutenant Benjamin had ordered me to waste no ammunition, I did
not feel that he would permit me to open fire on one man. He gave me a
written order to proceed, and so I went back to my section to carry out
the order. We placed a cap upon a ramrod and slowly raised it above our
parapet. I looked through a field glass while the men looked with naked
eyes. The cap had no sooner come above the parapet than a ball was put
through it. We all saw the smoke about ten or fifteen feet from the
ground. I directed Sergeant Tucker to load with solid shot, to take his
time about computing distance, elevation of piece, and aiming it. When
he had the gun ready, we once more raised the cap, and promptly the
bullet came. The sergeant had his piece ready aimed and he quickly said
"fire." The next I saw the pine tree break off and topple over, and down
fell a man with his gun in his hand. Our men sent up a great shout.
General Ferrero was delighted with such an exhibition of marksmanship. I
noticed that as soon as the reb. struck the ground he jumped up and ran
into the thicket to the rear of his tree. I said nothing about this, and
it was understood that Tucker had dropped his man at the first fire.

CONFEDERATE LOSS IN ASSAULT UPON FORT LOUDON,
_ALIAS_ SAUNDERS ON NOVEMBER 29, 1863.

Killed, 129. Wounded, 458.
Missing, 226. Aggregate, 813.

See War of the Rebellion, Official Records, Vol. 31, Part I, page 475.

General Burnside makes Confederate total loss about 500.

See _Ibid_ page 270.

Union entire loss about 20, _Ibid_ page.

In the assault _upon_ Fort Saunders, November 29, 1863, I
do not find that Battery "D" suffered any loss