The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-01-13

the regiment in consequences. When the
expected vessel arrived, there were no let
ters for Wynyard, but one for Sherbrooke.
AS soon as he had opened and read it, he
beckoned Wynyard from the room. They
remained closeted for an hour. On Sher-
brooke's return, the mystery was solved. It
was a letter from another officer, begging
Sherbrooke to break to Wynyard the news
of the death of his fayorite brother, who
had expired on the 10Th of October, and at
the same hour at which the friends saw the
apparition in the block-house. Some years
afterwards, Sherbrooke, then in England,
was walking in Piccadilly, London, when
on the opposite side of the street, he saw q
gentleman whom he instantly recognized as
the counterpart of the mysterious visitor.
Crossing over he apologised for his intru-
sion, and learned that he also was brother
NOT twin, as some accounts have it-of
Wynyarl. More than once, and long after,
when some allusiOn to the incident was
made in Gen. Sherbrooke's presence, he
interposed, with strong emotion, saying: II
beg that the subject may not again be men,
toned" The impression on the minds of
those who heard him was, that he consider
ed the matter too serious to be talked of.
Gen. Paul Anderson, a distinguished Pc
ninsular officer, who, when q major on Sir
John Moores staff, assisted at the burial of
that gallant soldier on the ramparts of Co.
runna, coroborated the facts here repeated,
as having hesrd them direct from Sir John
Sherbrooke's CWn lips short time before
his death; adding, that Sir John assured
him also, in the most solemn manner, that
he believed the appearance to have been
ghost or o disembodied spirit, and that this
belief was shared by his friend Wynyard.
Strong evidence, more than forty years sub
sequent to the event.
We find it stated in Moore's life of Byron,
that the noble bard sometimes used to men
ton n strange story, which the commander
of the packet, Captain Kidd, related to him
when on his passage to Lisbon, in 1909.
Being asleep one night in his berth-Cap-
tain Kidd, loquitur-he was awakened bv
the pressure of something heavy on his
limbs, and there being faint light in the
room, could see, as he thought, distinctly,
the figure of his brother who was at that
time in the naval service in the East Indies,
dressed in his uniform, and stretched across
tho bed. Concluding it to be On illusion of
the senses, he shut his eyes and made an
effort to sleep; but still the same pressure
continued and still, as often as he ventured
to take another look, he saw and felt the
figure lying across him in the same position
10 add to the wonder, on putting his hand
forth to touch this form, he found the uni
form in which it appeared to be dressed,
dripping wet. On the entrance of one of
his brother officers, to whom he called out
in alarm, the apparition vanished; but in q
few months after, he received the startling
intelligence that on that identical night his
brother had fallen overheard and been
drowned in the Indian seas Of the super
natural character of this appearance, Cap
tain Kidd himself did not appear to have
the slightest doubt. "Ohr' exclaims the
incrednlous reader, this was decided
dreamr' Granting the probability of such
n solution, 1T was nevertheless an intima-
ton, out of the natural course, of an event
which had actually occurred atan enormous
distance, and touching most closely the
party to whom it was conveyed.
The following recital came to me from
near relative. He received it in manuscript
from the writer, who vouches for its authen-
ticlty, and declares that he repeats, without
exaggeration, the facts therein detailed:
Alta VISTA, January 8, 184S
The events l am about to relate, occurred
at distance of about 800 miles apart One
at Alta Vista, the residence of Major Rich
ard Pollard, in the Green Mountains of AL
bemarle County. Virginia; the other at a
frontier post on the Western boundary of
IeXas-not, as now, Incorporated in the
Union. A detachment of about 200 men,
of the Ninth Regiment of Infantry, and q
few dragons, were there in garrison, with
the usual complement of officers. Amongst
the latter, was Lieutenant Henry Pollard,
remarkably fine and intelligent young
man, of about twenty years of age
Towards the close of the day of the 11th of
May, 1884, the clear, ringing notes of a
buge announced the hour of dinner, and
Immediately after, the officers were gathered
round the mess-table, buoyant with health,
and in their accustomed harmony and good
lowship-conditions under which they
there met for the last time
Alta Vista occupies the summit of an