The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-12-10
The Ghost Of Carrick's Ford.

A Campfire Story of Tucker County.
WrIttenJor tie Zatelligeneer. ..
1t was the night of the 10th of Deem.
ber-"that night Of all nights in tho year. "
| had been sent out on advance guard
the afternoon before. went reluctantly
even under protcst-for had been sut.
iering with symptoms oftyphold for sever
al days. 1t will be only necessary to say
that my appeal to the physician resulted
as such appeals always do to physicians
OF volunteer regiments. He was drunk
or busy, or lazy, and TO save the trouble
of o diagnosis, he pronounced tho indispo.
sitiOn lust d-n laziness" and l was forced
TO 20 on duty when should have gone
to bed. The night came on rainy and as
the hours wore away, became chilled to
the bone Igot off my horse and tried to
stimulate circulation by running up and
down the road, Clapping my hands smart
ly about my waist and Jumping about FL.
riously, almost frantically. In this way l
managed to hold my post and keep body
and soul together until midnight, when |
was relieved and started Tor camp, about
five miles distant. The rain before this
had changed to snow, which falling rap.
idly, had covered the ground to the depth
Of several inches.
AS l have said the camp was about five
miles distant. Between, nearly midway,
was Carrick's ford, where was stationed
an inside guard or picket Of dismount-
ed troops who were ut this pNr-
ticular point protected by stOcknde,
which was IN fact nothing more than n
small log house, having two rooms, n eel
lar and a lott. The previous fall the Ow-
ner of this abode, having made himself
conspicuous as guerilla Of the most
bloOdthirsty aud inscriptions stamp, paid
the forfeit Of treason on the border. lie
was taken one night, while visiting his
wife at the Ford, by Il body offour Union
scouts, who, fearful Of being themselves
captured, hung the rultian before they had
gone more thHn mile and halt from
the.fortl.
Now it happened that the tree on
which he was hung stood right in mypath
to the ford. / am not usually timid, but
as approached this tree l felt, own, a
little "skittish." TO divert my mind and
encourage my pluck, iell To humming
snatchCS OF old love songs; but il l Ind
been hung for it / cOnld not help looking
In the shadow Of every tree md shrub,
thinking perhaps less Of the dead than Of
the living. AS l came near the spot all
was rs quiet us the grave. l could see
the old pcrsimmOn tree ahead, with its
ono fatal branch to which the outlaw was
hung extending over the road. thought
of his lie, IN unbrOkcn train of crime and
blood since tho war begun. Yet it had
not always been so, twas said. "Ie
must have been tender husband" l
thought to myself for remember that
his poor wife, overwhelmed with sorrow
for his death, had drowned herself ut the
fordI thought OF hi" taking Off From that
tree under whose branches almost stood,
an erring mortal had swung in space, and
an erring soul was launched into eternity,
unshOrn and unannealed.
There was q rumOr in the vicinity that
when his cxecutioners had granted him
time to pray, he only asked for vengeance.
He prayed that his ghost might follow
them all and each to tho end of their
lives-that the blood Of his enemies
might flow till CarriCk's ford should be
flood Of human gore. entered the
shadow OF the tree, was beneath its
branches, my eyes were closed l stood
under the fatal limb. My horse stopped,
trembling like IN aspen leaf l opened
my eyes, half expecting to be mortified by
some ghostly vision, but nothing was to
be seen. AZ u k# ca
Twas just crowding tue spur intothc
side Of the ANIMAL when sound like the
despairing Shrek Of o ostsoul, and SEEM
ing to cmanate, not from the tree, but
from the air above it, froze the motion OF
my limbs to stiffness, congealing my very
blood with horror.
Dying away into rumbling murmur,
the sound seemed TO follow the body OF
the tree downward, tilpreaching the base,
1t sank into the ground with o loud thug.
Instantly my, horse sprang forward as if to
q race, j was beginning to recover from
my fright, my nerves were all in flutter,
and l was just saying to myself: "Why
Jack, you are fool" but glanctng over
my shoulder l saw what again sent
thrill Of terror to the very marrow Of my
bones. A little behind, and almost at one
side rode q man, or more properly
shadow, and his horse like himself was Us
black rs the waters Of Stygian.
plunged the spur into my horse, but It
was impossible TO escape him. l rcined
to slower pace, but he kept the same re-
lativc position, the head Of the phantom
steed always even with my saddle girths..
| reflected that it might be my shadow.
l turned in my saddle when my horse was
fairly flying over the ground. and forced
my tongue to utter tho words, "WhO are
you ~ The black spectre only pointed to
his neck. saw tho rope md the knot
beneath his car, and l knew II was the
ghost Of Roger Starr, the fellow who wNs
hung from the pcrsimmon tree, My ter.
rOr, If possible, increased. thought only
TO reach the stoCkadc on the other side Of
the ford. Dropping the bride altogether,
seized the pOmmel of the saddlcand hold
ing the spuTs into the side OF my horse,
dashed forward to escape this Internal
spectre. My horse iNirly flew over the
ground now; / was mile from the
ford; now half mile; now the campfire
ut the stOckade was visible, md gradually
the picket came in view. Onward
my horse Sped As l came in sight
Of n human form the terror Of
the situation became less inSuifCr-
able. The perspiratiOn now start
ed from every pore. The action Of my
Heart suspended, apparently ut least, by
my fright, resumed its normal condition.
Still onward we sped. The river was In
full view, over the bank, horse, rider md
ghost Here the specter making II dash
forward seized thelead rein of my bride,
WiIhhis fore feet already in tue water
my horse stopped instantly went on
l left my shoes in the stirups-nbt so
much because was In hurry as because
1 did not care to get them olit l walked