The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1862-07-09
naturally enough, that the ball passed very
close without hitting.

1 SiOSO hiehoue uiIliuS
"I don't know what to make of this,
said he, uneasily, to a regimental surgeon
who now came up to see the strange sight
The surgeon was a young Cuban, who,
after limited period of study in New
York university, had gone South to win
fame and emolument in the cause of Seces-
sia. Like nine out of ten Cubans who
visit New York and cut such dash--if
the phrase may be pardoned me on
Broadway and at our fashionable hotels,
he was possessed of a fair share of negro
blood; being in fact, quadroon. Let
our fair Northern bellies remember this
unpleasant truth when they sigh for lovers
from the sunny isle of sapotes and guiana
ranas; for, in every probability, diamond
weddings" and amalgamation are con-
vertible terms
The young surgeon, then, inherited the
inevitable feelings of his race; though he
would have resented, even to the duello,
any hint of his origin. In word, he
was superstitious.
He gazed earnestly at the boat and its
Eapathetic tenants, and an expression of
anxiety, not to say awe, passed over his
dark face.
II don't know what to make of it, Ell
ther,'' he said, at length; 'sbut, do you
know, colonel, | don't quite like the look
of it?'
''Nor I, by Jove, sir! The idea of a
party of Yankees rowing down here
to examine our position, and sitting qui-
etly under the fire of half-a-dozen rifles
for an hour, isn't very agreeable"
''Ah! But, colonel, do you suppose real
men could do such thing? think that
the bullets go right through and through
them!'
aReal men? What do you s'pose they
are, then-women?
mo, colonel Thcrc-is-something
curious us-.bout-them!'
This opinion, delivered word by word,
in an impre ;sive whisper, had its effect
upon the colonel
He was by no means superstitious
man. and, to give every one his due, did
not lack the common physical courage
that we SO much overrate In estimating
the value OF military men. But his mind
was not very strong, and had been rem
dered still weaker by over-indulgence
ludIheHt pcNcFdSeS, biAc CHlct uiHeISHCc DS-
tween him and Major Clements being, that
he got drunk every morning.
Like the defeat of the Confederate army,
it was mere s'question of time. u
Colonel Bell, then, who had already
suffered once or twice from delirium tre-
mems, was always nervous, irritable, and
morally timd, when recovering from a
debauch. He abstained from liquor in
the morning. as he said, son principle,
and the result was, that his overnight
potations always left his head foggy, and
his Judgment unsound, until the draughts
Of the following night gave him the facti-
tious and dearly bought ciearness and
steadiness thlt drunkards know so we'll
The dreadful whisper of the surgeon
had certain effect upon him. He mar
rowly scrutini2ed The Cuban, and gazing
again upon the mysterious boat, was ae
tually overfun by a cold shudder, very
like to ielr
"I'v heard Of many strange things, be-
fore now" continued the surgeon; but |
think we are seeing one of them for our
selves, just now!''
That's a fact, responded the colonel.
II think I'll try shell or two on them,
whatever they are. If that doesn't start
them-why, I'll give it up, and say I've
seen boat-load OF ghostsl'
s'Good God!-den' t say thatl' exclaimed
the Clban, trembling at the image he
himself had suggested And, without
further examination, he sought his quar-
tiers, where he devoted himself to praying,
smoking cigarettes, and answering ques-
tions for the rest of the day.
As may well be imagined, the parapets
were soon thronged by the curious. The
story went about, as if by telegraph,
through the camps and batteries, and lost
nothing by repetition. 1t finally came to
be understood that one Of the rowers had
pulled an oar after his head had been all
knocked to pieces with rihe-balls, and
that several of the others had walked de-
|liberately around the boat, dry-shod, on
the surface of the water. Then the negro
cooks and officers servants had it that the
craft was coffin manned by corpses, all
in white shrouds, and that every time they
breathed, flames came from their mouths.
Train one of those sixty -fours around
here" commanded Colonel Bell, sand
depress her, to hit that Internal boat
The gun was worked into position, sihgt-
ed carefully, and, in few moments, a
heavy percussion shell went bounding and
skipping over the smooth water, nearly to
the Maryland shore.
The colonel swore at the artillerists for
shooting too high, and condescended to
enter the embrasure, to sight the gun HIM
self. The second shell struck too low, and
ricocheted some ten feet over the boat.
Meanwhile, there had been no sound
nor movement among the "mysterious
strangers" who were provoking. such an
excitement on shore. As at first, they sat
motionless in their places, and seemed as
| little concerned about the shells as about
the rife bullets. A swarm of halfgrowr
Inusquitos might have disturbed them in.
fnitely more, one would have imagined
The colonel grew exceedingly anxious
and troubled at this, and the Cuban sur.
geon, on hearing OF ~, redoubled his Ave
Marias and his cigarettes.
& third and a fourth shell passed very