The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-11-22


away in the darkness ofthc night, leav'
ing the, rest TO. destruction. Along the.
lines Irsaw. our armies possessed of;a
fearful dread, flying from Nashville and
Columbus ). saw the battles Of Pea Ridge
Pittsburg Landing, and all the others,
and almost in the twinkling or.an eye
the Great Army Of the Potomac under
Meade pressing on to Richmond in all
its mighty proportions, appeared before
me, and / fslt that all was lost: Again
tho solemn voice rang 10 my, ears,
=" Jefferson Davis, Jefferson Davis thy
.doom;is. .scaledi meet tbY rcward,!h No
sooner were these words uttered than in
the distance | heard an uacarthly shout
ing and yelling that grated on my feel
,ugs like rcd hot iron drawn through
every portion Of my body. Soon there
came in sight what found to my horror
to be body guard of " imps" sent from
the botlomless pit to bring me to juds..
mcnt. Placing themselves around and
under my body, wo descended rapidly
towards Ilades. Soon VIC found our.
selves landedron barren rock in tho
most dosola6' place possible for you to
imagine. Stepping round to one angle,
i, disclosed to my view wide entrance,
and all around it grew the most bcauti'
ful flowers, and l seemed to hear the
most beautiful sounds imaginable. One
of my guards here spoke to me and said /,
&" Child Of mortality, follow y lie led
the way andN followed closely. 1t was
not long before tlp beauty Of the en-
trance passed away and all became dark,
drcary and desolale. Travelling what
seemed to mo q great distance, We at last
came to a great iron door, the nails upon
which seemed to sparkle and blaze with
some intense heat within. Here sat IN
elderly imp US doorkccper, and by his
side was very large book, in which
were written in letters Of fire tho names
Of all the damned who had preceded me.
L" Child Of sin" spoke the old man,
who art thou y and | answered, verify,
my brain reels and l know not. "Child
Of sin, tell me by what name thou wort
known on the earth ?" and answered,
Jefferson Davis. No sooner had he ut
tered this name, than the imps, with o
horrible, ncver.to- be forgotten scrcech
sprang to a distant corner, and stood
stirring with cleaning eyc.balls, tha
seemed to loathc me With most trcmen
dous loathiug. | tried TO approach them
but they would not permit it, seeming
fearful IF any contact with me. Horror
stricken aud amazed at this conduct o.
Of those | thought would be my friends
returned to the door which l now
found opca. No sooner had l entered
than the door closed with u heavy sound
and | heard rolling and rolling in the
distance my name as was thus intro
dueed to the society of the damned
Onward and onward I found myself
travelling, and ever and anon, as | passed
BY some poor wretch writhing in all the
misery Of the lost, l would turn my eyes
to catch ono look of sympathy, ono
glance of commiseration for my fate, but
in vain. All seemed to look, upon NC
with q dreadful horror. and pointing
their burnt fingers Of scorn as passed
whispered to each other, "UcN Is dis.
guccd! HUis di$9racecl!' Hurryine
faster on, at last found myself before
an open door, having printed overhead
in letters Of fire the words, "Entcr ana
rrccice thy doom r. entered, and there
in tho middle Of large apartment was
raised throne of living fire, and upon
it sat the most awful being ever bcheld.
On his head was crown of living scor.
Mons, and round his neck aud coilel in
bis bosom was the deadly rattlesnake.
| had but short time to look, when. in
a voice Of thunder, be said to me, Who
art thou?" And through the loog
arches through which I had passed came
the answer, :: jefferson Davis, Jefferson
Davis Hell is disgraccd-cast him
cut!" TransGxcd with horror, the
Devil seemed to gaze upon NC, and in a
voice of awful depth aud hardness, said
to me: jefferson Davis, once upon q
time, | who now sit here, Jailor of the
damned, ambitious to be something
greater than the greatest, rebc'led, and
was cast forth, and this sentence was
passed upon me,-to sink down to hell
and have dominion orer all the iniquity
of the world until greater than | should
be released and my dominion be givcn
to him. Jefferson Davis, long [ have
waited. long have I tempted, but in vain,
until to-day ycs appear before me loaded
down with a crime that even | shudder
as sec you. Jefferson Davis" said he,
rising, take my scat and crown" As
he uttered those awful words, my blood
seemed to freeze in my veins and the
~ ost horrid wall of agony rose from the
myriad of the damned, and with shout
awoke; trembling in every limb, cold
perspiration all over me, and broad day.
iight streaming in through my windows
The scenes seemed so real, and my doom
so pro phe,ic; that it preys upon mo like
canker, aud l Gud myself unable to
cast it off,. ...,...
Davis hero ceased speaking, and they
both rose, and unlocking the door,
passed out, and as they passed, caught
n glimpse of them, and never till the day