The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-08-26
A TROOPERS PRAYER.
HOW ONE OF MoRGANs S MEN TESTED
THE PRAYER GAUGE ~ AN ALLEGHANY
SNuy-STOI.!t

| SEJT-%TO1::Ji.
Soldiers rarely pray, but some
times circumstances combine to
wiring from them a short, earnest
annnal. Old John Fox, Of Gen.
John Morgan's brigade, was a queer
old bachelor, and nothing was more
to his taste than quiet sojourn of
a week or two in some one Of the
pleasant mountain coves of old Viz
ginia, far away from the humdrllm
| OF camp life and the crash and din
OF battle. He was not 4 soldier
who shirked his duty, but his age
which was about 43-and his Sc
rious habits untitled him for the
tolls CT a Eoldier's life. In the Win
ter Of 1863, while Morgans brigade
was cncampcd near Marion, Vii
ginia, Fox and = companion named
Burton, succeeded in getting fur
lougi,s for sixty days each. Both
of them had solUiored for many
months in Southwestern Eircinia,
and Aad formed many acqllaintances,
with whom they had spent many
happy hours. TO visit these friends
aud spend two OF: three days, was
the programme they mapped out,
and the morning of the neXt day
found them on their way. The day
was clear and exceedingly cold, and
a heavy snow lay upon the ground.
The Alleghany mountains loomed
up in their front and their intention
was to cross them before dark. But
the condition Of the roads interfer
ed with their progress, and it was
sindown when they reached the
foot OF the lofty range that sweeps
southwardly from Saltville. To save
time they chose a by-path used by
the mountaineers 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
thatissued from the cave and springs
high upon the mountains. After
several hours Of hard climbing,
which began to tell upon their
horses, they emerged upon bench
of land covered by a forest of huge
pine trees: among whose branches
were signing the chilling winds Of
the upper region. It was now dark
as pitch, and the snow was falling
in huge drifts, binding both men
and beasts. The poor, tired horses
staggered on the winding path, up
the steep, until all traces of a path
had disappeared. Urged on by
their freezing riders, they soon
emerged upon a bold projection. or
peak, at the top Of the range. All
was dark and cold and cheerless.-
The bowling winds seemed like
breaths from the icebergs of Green
land, as they swept by, and the
cracking Of the trees from the ef-
fects of the cold sounded like a skir-
mish in the distance. The fright.
ened horses stopped and refused to
advance, and in what direction OF
how to go any further was the ques-
ton.
Burton was an active little fellow.
and in an instant he was on the
ground in snow three feet deep
feeling about with limb he had
broken from q tree, to ascertain
whether they were near a preci-
pice. In many places in that To-
cality the sides Of the Alleghanies
are formed of perpendicular walls
Of stone, some of them three hun
dred feet in height. Leading his
horse, Burton began feeling his way
cautiously with his stick III 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
dismount and assist in finding a
way out of their predicament. But
that individual declared that he
was already frozen and could not
dismount if he would. Burton raj
lied him on being frozen stiff, and
told him if he did not get off and
assist him in finding the way
down the mountain, they would
both certainly perish. This picture
added to the already o7er-mastering
fear that Fox had been for hours
enduring, and be burst forth in a
loud, earnest prayer to 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 sacri
fees did he. make to the Lord of
the storm. Burton in the mean
time worked on, awed into silence
by Fox's heartrending appeals for
divine assistance. Even to his in
trepid heart, the terrors Of the scene.
the cold blighting blasts of the