Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-04-24

iok upwards oil nall tanshouf; at Inc emu oil which
hme, weary of inactivity, placed one of the men
on the duty which his fellow had abandoned, and
proposed returning to. the guard house with the
others. "a
Scarcely had turned my hact for thispurpose,
when Shrek of terror burst from the newly
placed sentinel, who, aftersfor about a second pre-
senting his musket down the arcL@ay, flung itsyi-
oiently from hm,and fed precipitatelyjus also did
the sergeant and his Gonzales. MY eyes followed
the direction of the levelled musket. and do not
L ar eing accused OF cowardice when l say Ifol-
lowed the exampleset me, and also ran away; for
never did more fearinspiring object meet the hu-
many sion, thanst that on whichmy terror-stlckeiis
gaze was now riv ted. The moon, as it slore
brightly into the avenue, showed me, near Tile
summit OF the arch, and almost on level with
my head, floating towards me- a human iorin, self
sustained in air, tile arms OF Which were stretched
out as if TO enfold me witt their grasp TWAS
clad in short tunic. of transparent whit, which
showed more pure in contrast with the pitchy
darkness behind it, the head was not quite severed
rom the body, buttit hung upon the breast, at
tached to the neck by sig ht portion Of the skin
on either side. The legs were tossed TO and fro
IN sucn manner as clearly showed thattlle bones
had been broken IN many placesi and from the
severed neck stream OF CRIMSON blood gushed
over the white raiment even TO its feet. Covering
my eyes with my hand, l fed towards the guard
room, had nearly reached itiwhen the sound of
dstantlaughter from the vessels moored below the
tort struck on my ear, as If a ray of sunlight had
pierced through the thickest darkness. The con
sequence Of my conduct flashed at once upon my
mind. halted-my breast heavei-,ny knees
..eneed.and prOiuse perspi.a,ion rashed from
ergy that fear had left me. L slowly reiraced my
steps, The feelings Of the condemned criminal,
as he PAGES between his cell and the fatal gibbet,
would be a state of bliss compared with what II
suffered, and underworld 10 muster in my mind
every motive that could stimulate me 10 exertion.
Atlength ts,ood trembling aud BREATH, IS on the
spot had quilted. Slowly raised my eyes, and
shudderlng, closed them in terror, though nothing
nv yik1tU NUltEi had shaf.
The heavyttoned bell of The fort toIied the hour
oil one. ReaSsnred, gazed mors earnestly to-
war the summit of them and beheld, while
the deep note or the bell yet sounded in my ear,
the same frightfull object emerging, it were,
from the solid masonry of the roof II now hover
ed over my head in ahorrzontal position, which,
as 1t hoated nearer and lower. was changed for an
| upright onej the breast dlated and swelled, as
when one draws. heavy suspiration; no sound
accompanied the motion. DesI air gave me cou!-
age. AT my feet lay the loaded .musket of the
sentinel. seized, md, cooking il, viewed the OBJ
| ject of my dread more earnestly. The suspira.
tons were continued, and now saw thai the head
was but one unshapen battered mass of red raw
| flesh. d tI55S
| Assuming as military tone as terror would
permit, shouted, "who goes there?" No answer.
Again and again shouted the SOLDIERS chal-
ienge, though each time fainter and faintei.
now tancied cou ID almost touch 1t. Bringing the
gun to my shoulder, took aim--'twas within a
| foot of the musket muzzle--I fred The loud
| echo was repeated hundred fold, reverberating
hollowly from the arch before me, and more sharp.
| ~ from the graveyard beyond. Thick smoke filled
and obscured the passage. sIcuuld not have missed
|-iny courage was as the nerve of despair. Slow
ly the breeze disspate the dense smoke; aud
there, futtering wildly, like engle its prey,
and certainly now not more than two feet fiom my
head, was this "thing of fear and dead" /
| sprung upwards and clasped il in my arms l felt
silght resistance. Some thing snapped loudly;
and a cloth, cold, dark and damp, as The covering
Of The dead, enreloped my head and shoulders ]
| Twas no "unreal shaded" felt twas substance.
Terror vanished, and became on the sudden
strangely xalient. Sounds of human life were
around ami about me: the prisoners we've alarmed,
and talked loudly IN their quarters. Lights moved
4 towards me from the guard house, with the sound
\ of measured loot steps. II was the sergeant and
| the entire guard. They moved in line, steadily
and with ported arms, ready for the charge; aud
1 low at my feet lay the object of this warlike
preparation. And what " as it, II shirt of lrhite
linen! which had been pinned by the sleeves 10
utylng line, reaching from window OF a easement
10 the opposite one; TO the collar was pinned red
ntgAtcdp and a pair of red CARERS, (tne seeming
stream OF bloody and TO the bottom was alta ched
| a pair OF stockings, (the jointIess legs of my
GnosrD The liie being rather slack, it had been
waited backwards and forwards in the breeze that
blew down the passage, causing IL 10 advance and
recede; and as it bellied with the wind, it seemed
10 dilute and to diminish III form, causing the be-
lore SO evident sGsPiraion, and giving It the APP
pearance OF supernatural animation.
Need i say that the Court Martial passed leni-
ent sentence on the, poor black delinquent who
had Quilted his post2 Need enumerate the tests
and jibes that poor endured from my brother Of
| hcerse! And need describe how sheepish look
ed when. as was beauing two belle Gaudaloupe-
ans round the Place de Mars, one Sunday evening
after garrison parade, heard my serieant soy. in
no dulcet strains, to comrade, as he touched his
! cap in passing: "There! That's the-lr,sh officer
who caught the Ghost!"