Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-02-14
A War Renaissance.
BY WIN. II. PEGRAM.

|
! It was during the win er o. 1876,
which will long be remembered by the sol
diers who took part in the compaign in the
Valley OF Virginia. as one which tried
men S souls and their heels also, that the
thrilling scene occurred which l am about
to describe.
J The old Fourth Cavalry was on forced
march down the Valley to meet column
of the enemy which was advancing, and
after days ride went into Divouac just
at night fall on the road side.
! We did not have the "cigars and cog
nac,'' as the old song says, with which
''to bivouac, ESQ after hasty ''bite of some
thing to eat'' and p1cketing and feeding
horses, we soon rolled ourselves, head and
ears, in our blankets and lay prone upon
the frozen ground.
To tired soldier sleep come quickly,
and with it almost entire oblivion, be
rarely dreams, so, hardly more than min
ute elapsed after the laying down before
the entire camp was as silent as the grave.
While preparing for rest we had been
notified of coming snow storm, not only
by black clouds which hung heavily in the
northeast, but by heralds in the shape of
cutting snow bakes propelled by the win
try blast.
1t was fearfully cold; SO bitter was it in
deed, it was thought expedient to dispense
with the usual camp guard SO as to enable
all to obtain whatever of comfort was pos
sible under the circumstances.
The regiment at that time numbered be
tween six and seven hundred men, who
solder-like, caring only for the present,
and unmindful of the morrow, slept
soundly and, I may add rapidly.
l had slept as had supposed only few
minutes when suddenly awoke to con-
seriousness. being made aware of an i'm
mense pressure upon me accompanied with
intolerable heat.
In attempting to move I found myself,
as it were, packed tightly in mould
which 1 fitted exactly, and was unable to
turn either to right or left. / soon found
that I was covered with very friendly
blanket of snow.
With vigorous push, I threw my blan-
ket off, and most curious spectacle pre-
sented itself to ny astonlshed gaze.
The black clouds had passed away and
the bright morning moon shone down upon
the ground covered with a white mantle
of eight inches Of snow. Looking around
me. as far as the eye could reach in every
direction, saw nothing but the unbroken
snow covering what appeared to be mounds
or graves in every conceivable position. !
was sitting upright in my own grave in
the middle Of huge cemetery.
Not human being could discover
anywhere, while everything was as still as
death itself. While was wrapt in the
contemplation nf so wonderful scene,
the bugle at headquarters, quarter of
mile off, sounded the reveille and lo what
change! In an instant the quiet scenery
was alive-all the men arose at once from
their snow graves, and what was the still
ness of death but a moment before was
now hustle and activity. Instantly the
text flashed through my mind, ''The trum-
pet shall sound and the dead shall be rails
ed" Words fail me in describing my feel
ing al the moment of this occurrence. Had
any idea of the time would have called
some of my comrades.
AS it was [ am fortunate enough to be |
probably the only person who has really !
seen a prototype of the resurrection -
Scri6ner's Monthly.