I don't know what should be so sensational or exceptional that Figner used an airgun?

My main focus of historical investigation for the last few years has been the military use of airguns circa 1780-1815. Of course, this has mainly focused on the Austrian Girandoni. Which actually has a fascinating operation history, that has never been written about in any text. The main source on the Girandoni, Haller, makes no effort to investigate it's actual field use, instead focusing on the information available in the Vienna War Archives. This information did indicate when the airguns were released to the field, it took a direct authorization from the Emperor to release airguns from the arsenals. For example, excerpt of Haller from my book:

Still in the year of 1796 a request was made by FZM Alvintzi, to send 30 Girandoni air rifles including accessories to Trient, because, as he elaborates, he expects this weapon to be of essential service in the nightly surprise attacks on enemy outposts.

Haller paraphrased Alvinczy. In Hummelberger, there is the actual message dated December 15th,

“. . . about 30 pieces Girandoni airguns, in the case of a night surprise of the pickets, these assets can provide essential services, send hastily here... “

Emperor Franz II personally approves the request of his old mentor.

”On these, taken pursuant to the request of the Feldzeugmeister Alvinczy it is all right to occur.

Franz emperor“.

The December 15th date is critical. It tells us exactly why these airguns were approved to be deployed. At this late date in the 1796 campaign, there is only one battle left to be fought; the 4th and final attempt to lift the siege of Mantua. It is a pivotal point in time, with Austria’s and Napoleon’s fate laying in the result.

I also found most likely point where the airguns were to be utilized, Die ersten Feldzüge Napoleon Bonaparte’s in Italien und Deutschland 1796 und 1797 Wilhelm Rüstow, F. Schulthess, 1867. (p. 371)

Provera advanced to Montagnana (11 miles to the east of Legnago) on January 9th, he remained there until the 12th completely inactive, this is in great contradiction to his instructions, which advised him the greatest speed of his movements and instructed him to penetrate to Mantua, and to do this without worrying what was happening right or left of him. But the guns and the pontoons had not arrived due to the poor weather, also Provera was now undecided about choosing the Adige crossing, since a coup in Legnago, on whose success he had fully expected, had failed.

For he had let creep under coverings in Legnano before the opening of hostilities, a number of Austrian soldiers, where they concealed themselves with the Austro-minded residents. This should be on the 10th, while Hohenzollern from the north attacks the French outpost, and a detachment of 600 volunteers by way of Merlara (about 2 miles southeast of Legnago on the east side of the river) would hasten to covertly, open the gate. This plan was, however, betrayed and Augereau (French commander at Legnago) made the arrangements, that its execution was impossible.

This failed Coup of Legnano is a replay of the Austrian 1787 (also failed) Coup of Belgrade that was the first ever planned military use of an airgun that we have the complete plan details of (written by Mack) and the commander of the coup was Alvinczy.

Note that the the delay of Provera in his diversion attack has been a critical point with historians of this campaign. It is entirely possible that had the Coup of Legnano succeeded that Napoleon's attention would have been diverted to the east and Rivoli does not happen.

So, hopefully it can be seen what fun it can be tracking down and finding out what actually happened in the field with these airguns. There are very few known accounts:
1788-1789 Austro/Turk
1793 Vincennes
1796 Italy
1809 Graz
1812 Russia/Germany and Colonel Fugner

So, what's the big deal about Fugner? For one, it is the only known eye-witness account of an airgun, any airgun, actually killing somebody on the battlefield. It's the only known use of an air cane on the battlefield. It's the only known account of an air cane being used for undercover intelligence gathering activities. It's the only known use of any airgun by a Russian. It's the last known use of an airgun on the battle field. The execution takes place at a grim time for the Russian, it's just after Bautzen and before the cease fire; Fugner and Lowenstern have been detached from the main body and ordered to use their flying cavalry to act, again, as partisans. They cross the moving French lines and capture a bunch of French soldiers and, to hide from the French, end up in one of the remotest places in europe, the tiny village of Armada-Brunn.

Now, if I had known that researching Fugner was going to lead to the complicated history of Sir Sidney Smith. . .

Re: Meriweather Lewis's airgun and Beeman - Well, much of what he has to say on the subject is highly speculative and in dispute, conflicting with other more reputable sources.