Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-07-01
A Troopers Prayer.


circumstances combine to wiring from /
them a short, earnest appeal. Old John |
Fox, of General John II. Morgan's bri-
gade, was a queer old bachelor, and
nothing was more to his taste than
quiet soiourn of a week or two in some
one of the many pleasant mountain
coves of old Virginia, far away from
the humdrum of camp life and the crash !
and din of battle. He was not a soldier
who shirked his duty, but his age
which was about 42-and his serious
habits untitled him for the tolls and
vexations of soldiers life. In the
winter of 1864, while Morgan's brigade
was encamped near Marion, Virginia,
Fox and a companion named Burton,
succeeded in getting furloughs for six
days each. Both of them had soldiered
for many months in Southwestern Vir-
ginia, and had formed many pleasant
acauaintances. with whom they had
spent many happy hours. To visit
these friends and spend two or three
days was the programme they had
mapped out, and the morning of the
next day found them on their way. The
day was clear and exceeding cold, and
a heavy snow lay upon the ground.
The Allegheny mountains loomed up in
their front and their intention was to
cross them before dark. But the con-
dition of the roads interfered with their
progress, and it was sun-down when
they reached the foot of the
lofty range that sweeps southwardly
from Saltville. To save time they
chose by-path used by the mountain
GERS of that region by which to cross
instead of following the public road.
Their route was perfectly plain for
some distance, being up the bed of
little stream that issued from the caves
and springs high upon the mountain.
After several hours of hard climbing,
which began to tell upon their horses,
they emerged upon broad bench of
land covered by forest of huge pine
trees, among whose branches were
signing the chilling winds of that upper
region. 1t was now dark as pitch, and
the snow was falling in huge drifts,
binding both men and beasts. The
poor. tired horses staggered on in the
winding path, up the steep, until all
traces of path had disappeared. Urged
on by their freezing riders, they soon
emerged upon bold projection, or
peak, at the top of the range. All was
dark and cold and cheerless. The howl
ing winds seemed like breaths from the
icebergs of Greenland, as they swept
by, and the cracking of the trees from
the effects of the cold sounded like a
skirmish in the distance. The fright
ened horses stopped and refused to ad-
o,I -, ,rbat liranfIn,, nr bnu IN
go on was the question.
Burton was an active little fellow, and
in an instant he was on the ground in
snow three feet deep feeling about with
a limb he had broken from a tree to as
certain whether they were near preci-
pice. In MANY places in that locality
the sides of The Alleghanies are formed
of perpendicular walls of stone, some of
them three hundred feet in height.
Leading his horse, Burton began feel
ing his way cautiously with his stick in
the hope of again striking the by-path.
But that had long been covered up by
the snow, and death by freezing seemed
to be staring them in the face. Burton
called upon Fox to dismOunr and assist
in finding a way out OF their predica-
ment. But that individual declared
that he was already frozen aud cOuld
not dismount if he would. Burton raj
lied him on his being frozen stiff, and
told him if he did not get off and assist
him in finding the way down the noun
tain, that they would both certainly
perish. This picture added to the al
ready overmastering fear that Fox had
been for hours enduring, and he burst
forth in loud earnest prayer to the
Lord for guidance and deliverance from
the death which seemed impending over
him. Long and earnestly did he wrestle
with the spirit, and many promises of
future works and sacrifices dldhe make
to the Lord of the storm. Burton in
the meantime worked on, awed into
silence by Fox's heart-rending appeals
for divine assistance. Even to his in
trepid heart the terrors of the scene, the
cold blighting blasts of the storm, the
noise of the icicles dropping from the
groaning pines, the shadow and soil
tude of the place, brought feeling OF
| fear and dread. But knowing that the
lives of both depended upon his exer-
tions, he plunged forward through the
snow that lay in drifts here and there
| to the depth of six feet. For an inter-
minable time he groped and searched
about and at last began to descend the
mountain by route that he thought
practicable. He finally struck a little
ravine, and following 1t down between
/ the rows of laurel tlat bent above 1t
under their burden of snow, he joyously
discovered that his progress downward
was assured. Down the bed of the
ravine they travelled ON until fence-a
sure harbinger of civilization-lay
athwart their way. Cheered by the
sign of life he gave yell, such as Nor
gan's boys alone could give. They both
paused to hear the echoes floating far
down into the caves below, and as the
last faint murmurs died away, their ears
caught the sound of the bark of a dog
away down in the gloom beneath them.
Following the fence til reached IN an
hour or so, small hut, situated in a
little sequestered glen at the western
foot of the mountains. They were
saved. Food and shelter was theirs
and the blissful rest that sleep affords
to tired soldier. Fox claimed that
his prayer was answered, and that to
the goodness of God they owed their
deliverance. Burton did not desire to
weaken Fox's faith, and did not ques-
ton his assertion, but he always enter
tanned the idea that his own untiring
efforts found the way and brought then
safely through. Upon their return tc
camp Burton told the tale, and regularly
at nightfaIl the boys called on brother
Fox to pray. But Fox had forgotten
his vows and was never known to pray
again. The soldier who needed the
shield of prayer in combating the ele
ments never thought of it when facing
bullets.