Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-14
A War "Reminiscences.

1t was during the winter of 1876,
which will long be remembered by the
soldiers who took part in the campaign
in the Valley of Virginia, as one which
tried mems souls and their heels also,
that the thrilling scenooccurred which
| am about to describe.
The old Fourth cavalry was on a
forced march down the valley to meet
a column of the enemy which was adj
yancing, and after a days ride went
into biyouac just at nightfall on the
roadside.
We did not have the "cigars and
cognac, as the old song says, with
which ito bivuoac," so after a hasty
bite of something to eat, - and picket
ing and feeding horses, we soon rolled
ourselves, head and ears, in our blank
cts, and lay prone upon the frozen
ground.
To a tired soldier sleep comes quick
ly, and with it almost entire oblivion /;
he rarely dreams, SO hardly more than
a minute elapsed after the lying down
before the entire camp was as silent as
the grave.
While preparing for rest we had
been notified of a coming snowstorm.
not only by the black clouds which
hung heavily in the northeast, but by
heralds in the shape of cutting snow
flakes propelled by the wintry blast.
lt was feaTfully cold Sc hitter was
it, indeed, it was thought expedient
to dispense with the usual camp guard
so as to enable all to obtain whatever
Of comfort was possible under the cir
cumstances.
The regiment at that time numbered
between six and seven hundred men.
who, soldier-like, caring only for the
present, and unmindful for the NOR
row, slept Soundly and, | may add,
rapidly.
| had slept as / had supposed only
a few minutes, when | suddenly awoke
to consciousness, being made aware of
an immense pressure upon me accom-
panied with intolerable heat.
In attempting to move | found my
self, as it were, packed tightly in a
mould, which | fitted exactly, and |
was unable to turn either to the right
or left. | soon found that | was
covered with a very friendly blanket
of snow.
With a vigorous push, l threw my
blanket of, and a most curious spec
tacle presented itself to my astonished
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 eve
could reach in every direction. l saw
nothing but the unbroken snow cover
ing which appeared to be mounds or
graves In every conceivable position.
| was sitting upright in my own grave
in the middle of a huge cemetery.
Not a human being could | discover
anywhere, while everything was as
still as death itself.
While / was wrapt in the contem-
of SO wonderful a scene. the
bugle at headquarters, a quarter of a
mile off, sounded the reveille and, 10,
what a change In an instant the
quiet scenery was alive-all the men
arose at once from their snow graves.
and what was the stiffness of death
but a moment before was now hustle
and activity. Instantly the text flashed
through my mind THE trumpet shall
sound and the dead shall be raised.
Words fail me in describing my feel
at the moment of this occurrence.
Had | had any idea of the time |
would have called some of my COM
AS it was l am fortunate enough to
be probably the only person who has
really seen a prototype Of the resur-
rection.