Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-05-03
Original 4fltsfeIIunp.
PreSCntimentS.

Whence the strange inborn sense of coming i'll,
That ofttimes whispers to the haunted breast,
In low tone that naught can drown or still,
Midst ieasts and melodies a secret guest?
| Whence doth that murmur wake, that shadow
fall?
Why shakes the spirit thus? It's mystery all /"
Among all the branches of the supernatural,
there is 10 one which has been so little discus
sed by philosophical writer's as that generally
known by the term presentiments. And yet there
is no one among them all better entitled to our
consideration from the many and well authenti-
Gated instances which may be cited to prove
their existence; nor Is there any one Of them,
at the same time so difficult of explanation, on
natural principles, when that existence is estab-
lished. 1t is this difficulty, probably, which has
deferred many learned men from attempting a
solution O. the mystery while it is the secret
reason, we appreIIend why many others pass the
subject with slur placing the presagc to the ac-
count of dependency of mind or nervous timid.
lty, and protesting 10 look upon its fnlfllment as
nothing more than one of those remarkable coin
cidenc0s which are often occurring in the ordi
Dry events of life. This is doubtless an easy
way of getting along with what we will not be-
lieve, and cannot explain but itso happens that
by far the greatest proportion of the recorded
cases of presentments by which term we mean
iorebodings which are realized-not false pre-
sentments) have occurred among a class of men
the most noted for firmness and courage, and the
least subject, by nature and discipline, to be af-
fected by snperstitious fears or nervous weak
ness. Scarcely an important battle has been re-
ported, by the details of which it has not appear
ed, that some of the slain, though the bravest of
the brave, and never before troubled with such
impressions, have confidently foretold the death
that awaited them.
The brave and chivarous General De Kalb,
who fell at the battle of Camden, at the eve Of
that memorable engagement, told his brother Of
fcers that he felt, for the first time, that his hour
had come, and making his last requests, rode in
to battle and soon received in his heart the fatal
bullet that brought his towering form to the
earth.
The gallant General Pike, the night before the
storming Of the British fortress at Little York, in
the war of 1912, made his preparations for death,
and wrote letter giving directions for the future
education, &c. of his beloved daughter, under
the avowed impression that he was not to survive
the expected battle, though as commanding Off
Ger, he was not necessarily to be exposed to dan
| ger. The bnttie samo--tIlo Fortress ,~aa blown
up by the retreatng foe, and small stone thrown
to the distance of Il quarter of mile, struck
Pike, who was sitting on stump, apparently out
of the way of all harm, and caused his immed-
ate death.
Our lamented Ransom, as we are informed by
an officer of his regiment who fought by his side,
the night previous 10 the terrible battle of Che
pulhpec, talked of home and family, and the
melancholy thought of falling so far away from
them in a strange land, in manner which con-
WINGED all that he had been seized with an over
towering presentiment of his approaching fall.
Hundreds of these instances might be cited
from the annals of war, but deeming it unneccs
sary, we will proceed to another class of cases
1t was once our fortune to be thrown into a So
cialclrcle, in which were the near relatives Of
some of those who persisted in the conhagratior
of the Richmond theatre, in 1879, which so wide
ly scattered the weeds of wo among the first fam
lies of Virginia. Two or three remarkable in
stances Of presentiments were told us as having
been felt and avowed previous to the fire by those
who became victims; but we have treasured W
one more peculiar than the Others because, in
stead of being followed by the death of him witt
was the subject Of the prcmonition, it was tn,
direct means, in all human probability, of say
ing him and family of accomplished daughter
from destruction. The play announced for tina
night was an attractive one. The gentlemen t
whom we allude, had proposed to his family t
attend the theatre with them, and several time;
through the day, spoke of the pleasure he anti
clpated in witnessing the performance. But to
wards night he became unusually thoughtful
and, as the appointed hour drew near, he took
seat with The ladies', and commenced reading t
them long and interesting story, evading a
conversation aboutthe theatre. This he contir
ued until interrupted by one of the wonderin
circle, who suggested that it was time to start
Again eyading the subject, he went on readin
till he was second time interrupted, and tol
they must go Immediately or they should ce
tainy he belated. Finding he could not pl
them off till too late 10 90, as he had hoped {
do, he turned to them and earnestly asked it {
} a favor that they would all forego the promise
pleasure of the playhouse, and remain with hi
, at home through the evening. Though deep
, surprised and sorely disappointed, yet they dut
, fully ncquiesced and in the course of the eve
ing, while engaged in their quiet firesde ente
tainment, they were aroused by the alarm
; fire; and in few minutes more by the nppallir
! tdings that hundreds were perishing in Il
! flames of the burning theatre, in which, but
2 the request which had seemed so strange
a them, they too would have been found to
9 numbered among the victims. The next NOR
d ing the gentleman told them, in explanation
e his conduct the evening before, that as the no
set for the performance approached he becar
! unaccountably impressed with the idea or feelil
r that some fearful calamity was that night to f
on the company assembled at the theatre; al
: that the premoniticn, in spite of all his efforts
= shake it off, at length became 81 strong and d,
: mite, that he secretly resolved to prevent the
1t from attending; and would have done SO, ev