The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-09-07
Visited by a Ghost.


Il can't say that ever did" the re-
porter replied
Whereupon the gentleman said that
in the person of one of the officers of
the city government could be seen one
who had once had veritable interview
with spirit from the other world.
The reporter visited the gentleman.
Eyes, sir" he said to the reporter,
sit is the truth. | did once see ghost,
or have an interview with a spirit. At
least, l think l did. may have been
dreaming; | don't know. But it was Il
most remarkable, most ineXplicable
dream-what you might call a prophetic
dream, that was fulfilled in every de-
tail in most extraordinary manner.
And | don't think it was dream"
at was at the time of the war.
was on the Confederate side in the war,
soldier in the First Maryland Cavalry.
In the same company with me was a
gentleman from California, whom you
may call Copleston. I'd rather YOU
wouldn't publish his real name. He
was splendid fellow, and before long
we became very intimate and gradually
| grew to be most devoted friends. He
was the bravest of men, but at the same
time unusually warm-hearted and at
fectiOnate, and our affection for each
other was something unusual among
| men.
Gone day we We're together in a
pretty hot fight near Greenland Gap,
Hardy county, Va, during Gen. VIM.
+. Jones raid, and, as we had no artil-
lery with us, our regiment was dis
mounted and detailed to storm a church
in which body of the enemy had en-
trenched themselves. 1t was nasty
piece of work, and the prospects We're
slim of getting back alive. Aswe went
at it COplestOn turned to me and said:
Look here, old fellow, let's promise
each other that if one of us is killed
without a chance to say good-by, he
will come back again to see the other,
if such a thing is possible | under
stood him and promised. We got off
this time without much damage, but it
was understood between Us that the
agreement was lasting.
Not long after this we were separ-
ated. He was sent off with a detail for
| scouting work upon the Mississippi.
and before he got back | was captured
by Averill at Moorfeld, after the
Chambersburg raid. They sent me to
Camp Chase, near Columbus, Ohio,
and here lay for long time, with
some fifteen or twenty thousand other
prisoners, hearing little Or nothing of
our men on the other side of the PotO-
mac, and then only from the new pris-
oners when they were brought into
camp. Of Copleston we heard nothing
at all.
I'm Camp Chase we lived in big bar
| racks, about 300 men in a barrack. In
the one in which was most of the men
were Marylanders of our old command.
We slept in hunks around the room,
and the room was heated by three bic
stoves. One night [ was sitting by the
stove nearest the door, thinking. Ii
was late, and all the others were in
their hunks asleep. | sat there alone
for some time, looking at the fire and
lost in thought. Suddenly | felt I'M
PEELED to look up, and there, lust in
front of me, on the other side of the
stove and between it and the door,
stood Copleston."
Were you alarmed at all?"
mo, was not alarmed, only, great
ly surprised. There was nothing to
alarm. 1t was only Copleston. dressed
in the same gray suit and black felt hat.
l thought, OF course, at the instant that
some how he had been captured and
brought prisoner to the camp, and had
only Just learned where | was. / eX-
claimed: Why, Copleston, when We're
you brought imp and tried to rise up and
shake hands with him. | could not
move.
"Copleston looked at me sadly for
moment and then said: No, | was not
brought here; don't you remember our
agreement?'
g. Great heavensr 1 exclaimed.
Were yOu-?'
So Yes he said, L was killed to-
day He then went on and told me
all about it. One day he and one other
of our men were surrounded in house
near Luray, in Page county. Va, by a
squad of Federals, and after a little
fight, in which Copleston was wounded
in the leg, the two were captured and
taken into the enemy camp. They We're
held for a few days, and were then
sentenced to be shot as an act of re-
taliation for some sins laid at MOSby's
door. A sergeant's guard took them
into the woods, and with some touch
of pity offered TO let them run the
gauntlet, Indian fashion. The other
man accepted this slight chance of es-
cape, but was shot as he ran. Copies
ton refused to move, and was Killed
where he sat on the ground.
"All this, sir, assure you, was told
me by this strange visitor. As he fin
ished he said: Should there ever be
any other occasion for me to see you
will come and then disappeared, not
going out by the door, but simply fad
ing away. | was, of course, strongly
moved, but shortly after that | retired
to my bunk. The next morning | told
the men in the mess the circumstance,
and was of course laughed at.
Three weeks afterward fresh pris
oners were brought in from the Army
of Virginia, who, with other news, told
of Copleston death, just as | had al
ready heard of it from himself. The
men Of the mess no longer laughed at
my story.
81 do not pretend to explain this at
all. l think it can't be explained. /
am not cupnrCt;t;n,,n I .L:al - -