Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-04-24
a SOLDIERS RncoLLncr1oNs,
A onosr sroaY.

a GHOST STORY.
II was shottfyafter the capture Of the Island of
Gaadaloupe from the French. in the year 80,
That mytoar OF duty placed mein command Of
snbatern.s guard OF Fort Matilda, where divis-
ION OF the prisoners of war was then confined.
ssnlemoer the guard mounting Of that morning.
Never wast there recolIected a more motleyygroup
than u that which, undermy command, marched on
the parade ground. The officer. an freshman; the
seergeat. from the York Rangers, of the same ma
ion; malta dozen borders from the 25th; as many
Germans from the 5th battalion of the Goth, and
several Africans from my own corps, the --th
West India regiment figured in the Gra nd Report,
Inc q, day passed on in the Intellectual manner
and tearing TO pieces the guard repoH-lesnine
over the .parapet ofSthe draw .briiee-yaw WING
over D.ndas-and arranging and re.arranging the
papers IN my writing desk. Evening came. The
guard was turned out at gun fire. Il heard the
drums of the several regiments encamped or 'hmt
.ea az snail distances round the town, beat the
TATTOO. MY regimental coat and wings (for,I was n
BOD Were exchanged for the more comfort
Costume Of the day. gave place to Highland easy
!.osagins cap; and my net hemmock, from the Span.
ish main, was sung sufficiently low to allow, nv
zoe 70 reach the ground that might give it the see
Nv no goes theIe? shouts the sentinel at the gate.
Rounds What 'rounds?, sGranl ronSas;
Guard turn out Clash sound the horse's hoofs
oil the held officer on duty, Us retires from his
Ateleyen O'clock rouse myself, lie INV han.
dana tight round my throat, aud visit the sentinels
nothing more to do till morning. / light my cigar.
take farewell glass of my swizzle, (cold rum
and water, very weak, and which West Intian,
only can mis,) and, reclining in my hammock.
compose myselt!tor ainap. Inyain; the annoy.
ing buzz OF the mosquitoes, and the. close at,nos-
paeIe OF the guard. loom, precluded the possibility
OF s!eep. arose and opened the jalousie to aa-
mt the sea breeze; whose sudden and low moan
ing was Just beginning to be heard. How lovely
was the scence that met my view! The moon had
only Just risen over the smoke cloud that constant
~ hangs on the summit of Mount Soufriere !:
which, lighted by her radiance seemed liz a
tree OF the brightest amber, gradually red,eninp
10 bright flame color, at the point where it emer
geu from the crater Of that ever.smoking furnace
me mountain itself rose dark, AMI giant like in
deep shade; its outline clearly defined against the
cloudless transparent brilancys Of tropical sky
Here and there a struggling moonbeam finding lis
way 10 The bottom of some Of the numerous ra-
vines on the mountains side, and sparkled with
brilliant light reflected in the steams below. In
The plain at the foot of the hill stood the town of
bassaterre; the low flat roofs of its houses covered
win the dew; glittering bright in tile moonlight,
which,, as usual in that climate, was so clear as to
render even the gay coloring Of the verandahs and
galleries plainly d'stingulshabie; while in Ind
foreground the Tamparts and glacis of Fort Ma
s1ida ifowned in black and solemn grandeur.
The night breeze blew cool and sweet; a thousand
lizards chrpped shrilly beneath the window
while the melancholy tones, of the sentinels, as
they sung forth, with prolonged and VARYING ca
dence' the customary warning OF tAll's Well,'
hormonized sweetly with the monotonous BOOM
ing OF the sea, that broke upon the shore below
the fortress. =
Leaving the window open, Presumed my place
IN the hammnck; and while viewing The prospect
oeiose me- and lnhaling the fragrance of my cigar,
sweet and pleasing ideas Of country and of home
rose gradually within my mind. The Ia ndscape
slowly faded from my view, the thoughts of KIN.
ated' OF friends, and OF the green banks OF the
IN
loity palm Trees, smoking mountains. cigars swiz-
zie, sentries, grand rounds rum, aud prisoners of
war-in a word was fast asleep; and so might
nave continued until morning, had not been.
awakened by an unusual commotfon in the mems
guard room, separated from mine by a thin wooden
partition only. The confusion OF tongues at Ba-
Vel was order aud regularity compared with theup.
roar now heatd. The IRISH serjeants brogue,
ne alternately swore and blarneyed, rose clear and
sonorous over the gutteral grumbling OF the Ger
man, the bling burr of the Northumbrian, and
The Jabbering monkey like squeak of my own me-
stoes; while at intervals thought could distin-
guish The low meanings Of one in pain. Tosnatch
my sabre from the table, and run into the adjoining
room, was the thought and work of a minute: and
II the confusion of noises was astounding, the
scene tat met my eyes, on crossing the Threshold
was perfectly alarming. A huge wood fire, that
incongruous but invariable appur;enance OF the
west Indian guard room, threw lis titrul beams on
me rough and marked features of the whole assem-
Died guard, who were congregated around a black
soldier of my own regiment, nay of my own COM
pany, Who lay on the hearth, agitated almost con-
yulslyely. His face, as the fire light CLEANED on
IT. W." i aeadiy pale. Yes, my friend, a black man
can look pale, aud nothing can be more horrible
than the color which at such time tile negro as.
sumes. The blood forsakes the countenauce; the
lips become of dull, yellow white; circle of a
blush tinge surrounds the eyes; the red veins in
which, being swollen and filled with blood. seem
OF The hue OF fire; while the ivory whi,eness Of
Inc teeth lmparts to the whole face character al
most demoniacal.
elbowed my way with difficulty through The
circle, for authority seemed LOST shouted stamp-
ed, swore, and at last was heard. ttWhat is The
meaning of all this confusion?''
Ute black spalpeen has run aw ay from his most
and never stopped 10 look behind him." says the
SERGEANT. = q : =
.tWhere was lie stationedi"
In The archway by the prisoners quarters.o
"iurn out the relief, then, and post another
Grumble went the Germans the Nortm,mh,;a,,
rumbled out their dissatisfaction; the NEGROES
squeaked, but no one moved. All the Irish blood
IN IN my veins rushed TO my head, and was in "a
ttnaeTng Big passion, as the seIjeant afterwar Is
de hned It. again and again demanded the cause
o. all tins uproar. No aGsw er. i at length bY
UNI ,ot SHAKING, kicking, roaring, and humping
drew an answer from ,blackie himself; who gaspe,l
dog fish: s. N''As
"Oh massa Coptin !-(all the officers are can.
talns with the West Indian soldiers OH mass,
Coplin, me savee-sartin me safe-sure me 90 da
6tr6e daboo-me dle-me go 10 Guinea-me see da
JumbeeH' 'ee oa
was but new conner in the COLONIES, and did
not understand him. dema nded an explanation
from the SERGEANT. eNt'"s''A
"sure, and please yur honor, he says he sawtbe
',Ohite gentleman that is the devil, yer honorn
"fhe supersttious scoundrel The prisoners
have been endeavoring TO terrify him." exclaimed
!, turn out the relief this instant; take off he
accoutrements; make prisoner OF. him. and fol.
low me TO his post.'' '"N 'o.-
This was soon arranged; the sergeant and three
men Were selectedi the word was gyen-"With
ed towards the massive archway, divijins The
low r from the upper compartment of the fortress.
where The sentry had been posted. ana where he
french prisoners were locked up during the night
time- W. reached the spot. Itswas at the en-
trance OF long covered way. or hnmh mo Z cas.