The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-12-04
THE GHOST OF HENRY RIvES POL.
LARD,S BROTHER. -

In the Dublin University Magazine for
November 1868 we find the following
remarkable account of supernatural
vision of death. The extract Is taken
from an article entitled More Ghosts
Old and Ne.o. lrl fl1t1
The events am about to relate oc-
Cured at distance of about eight hum
dred milesapart. One at Alta Vista, the
residence of Major Richard Pollard, in
the Green Mountains of Albemarle
county, Va; the other at frontier mill
tary post Of the United States on the
western boundary of Texas-not, as
now, incorporated In the Union. A de-
tachmenC of about two hundred men or
the Ninth regiment of infantry, and
few dragons, were there i'll garrison,
with the usual complement OF officers.
Amongst the latter was Lieutenan:
Henry Pollard, a remarkably fine and
intelligent young man OF ABOUT twehty-
the day of the 18th of May, 1884, the
clear ringing notes OF bugle announc-
ed the hour of dinner, and immediately
the officers were gathered round the
mess-table, buoyant with health, and in
their accustomed harmony and good
fellowship conditions under which they
there met for the last time, HF e.
| Alta Vista occupies the summit OF an
| elevation which commands charming
| view across the Green Mountain west
wardly to the Blue Ridge; and to the
| soushward and eastward, on clear day,
can be seen Mount Laurel, within the
borders of the contiguous State of Ken
| tucky.* About halt mile from the
house. on the north side, runs the pub
lie road, while surrounding it is an ex-
tensiye park, scattered over with pro-
| fusion OF spruce and locust trees. Ar
bors, composed of cane, spring up here
and there; and as they are the resort OF
members of the family for reading
STUDYING, or playing, tho house servants
have taken them under their especial
charge. They devote to them unremlt'
ting care and attentions; they. have
trained over and about them flower
bearing vines and croepers, which dit
fuse an agreeable fragrance, renderins
them at the same time impervious t
rain and to the suns rays. At the soutl
side, beyond the lawn, is the garden.
always neatly kept, and well filed witt
the choicest shrubs and flowers, amongs
which shines conspicuously the yellow
rose. Allthe immediate grounds abou
the house are enclosed within an orna
| menbal Ddllil2 VI NOOts SA1NNA eAai n
giving access to gates at various points
an anple piazza runs the length of tn
, main building, which has wings at eth
/: err extremity, that on the south bein
, the library and school-room for the chill
dren: that on the north is now know
: as nv room. from my having always oc
cupied it when visiting Alta vista be
B fore my marriage.
From the porch in the centre OF tn
piazza broad gravel walk leads straigi
through the lawn to the principal gat
of entrance to the park. It'll bounded
s. as all the others are, by low hedge
aromatic shrubs and flowers. Abo'
D half a mile off, in southerly direction
: are rows of negro cabins, and within
convenient distance of them stands
two story brick house, occupied by Il
oyerseer of the plantation and his lam
ly. - No,
10 Pollard was absent at Santiago, Ch
where he had been sent by the Unit
States Government OH a special missio
which involved reparation Tor tile ca
- ture of the frigate Essex, Commodo
Porter, within the harDor Oh Valpar'
+, so, in the war of lSll-'l4 by Two EA
lish yessels-the Phoebe and Cherub.
Tbis action was fought within gunsh
= of the batteries of the port, and W
y, messed by thousands OF spectators " y,
"a, orowded the shores. 1t was unequall
by any of the war tor the pertinaeidty
the attack and defence, When Co
medore Porter ordered his colors to
: str,lck. and surrendered hlmselfa pri
y, ner of war on board the Phoebe, W
few of his men were left fit for du
Ks, nearly every officer was disabled and
on less than one handred and forty Of
1This is evidently a n1istalze.-ED. \. V