National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-29

CACOSItdtlOllS curing Steep oHecteu me cOuSlueI-
ably; and all the more because the scenery de
picted was altogether strange. My memory, though
questioned to the uttermost, failed to recall any
locality through which had ever passed at all re-
sembling it. Consequently Ifelt unusually gloomy
and depressed in spirits, and all the morning car
ried in my heart presentiment, the nature OF
which en- scarcely be described of approaching
evil.
The old battlefield of Bull Run was reached
early in the forenoon, and about twelve m We were
advanced mile or so to the northward, where we
were assigned our position in the line of battle
then forming.
The station occupied by my regiment happened
to be in piece of timber skirting open field,
which terminated st the distance of some five or
six hundred yards in front of us in ridge crowned
with several confederate batteries the guns in
| plain sight.
The enemy's sharp-shooters lay in front of their
artillery concealed from view, but the pufs OF
smoke from their muskets sufficiently indicated
their locality anddisclosedthe fact that our oppos
lines were parallel.
On our left the country was open, but in the op-
posite direction, beginning at a distance of some
three hundred yards from our right, the timber
extended up to and beyond the ridge already de-
scrbed.
The excitement consequent upon the fighting
going on about me and the skirmish firing drove
my dream temporarily out Of mind although its
impressions were allowed to remain
| About five o'clock in the afternoon as I should
judge. we were ordered TO charge the position in
our front; and the various regiments of the bFi-
gade, my own occupying the second place from the
left, advanced to the dangerous undertaking.
| Moving from our place of shelter, We were
greeted with terrific shower of grape, canister,
and she'll, the first discharge of which encountered
| us as We were climbing or in some manner getting
over or past worm fence of some five or six rails
high, and which had interyened between our
selves and the cleared field beyond.
| When about half the distance TO the ridge had
been traversed, one of the men nearest to me fell
! and, although were going at the doublequick
noticed, as hastily glanced down at him, that
he had fallen in dead ftIrrow,'' which the regi-
ment was Just crossing.
l might here observe that while lying in the
timber, it, the field the ridge everything, in fact,
about me seemed strangely familiar and SO did the
dead furrow" buty yet the events of the night pre-
yious did not recur tome. Twas thinking of some
thing else at about that time.
| We charged ahead and reached the hill. The
enemy's gunners fed. The crest was almost gained,
as we Tor, at least, u thought, when suddenly 1
was enveloped in total darkness A pressure upon
my throat. ringing in my ears as though my head
| were plunged into stream of running water; a
sensation of dizziness. numbness, suffocatfon, and
of falling and then ashock as struck the ground
| how well remember it all now
! The conclusion of the fall seemed to restore my
sight consciousness had never left me- and to this
day the incidents then transporting as fresh as
| though they had occurred within the year.
For instance: While was momentarily Keeling,
just at the time of being hit, preparatory to fail
| over backward, / heard comrade remark
There goes" mentioning my nance, and
| remember thinking, even while on my way down
| TO kiss Mother Earth with the back of my head,
| that was gone, instead of going.
But 10 continue: So soon after falling as possible
constituted myself board of survey to ascertain
| and assess the damages sustained, and forthwith
| entered upon the investigation.
found that, as a personal matter the injuries
were quite serious-a mimic ball having penetrated
my throat, passed between the jugular and wind
pipe and found an exit at the back of my neck,
! quite low down and close by the spine, which it
| slightly fractured.
| After making up and sending in this report, and
doing what could TO stalnch the flow of blood by
forcing into the wound some lint and handker-
| chief fortunately had with me, crawlcd as best
/ could in my paralyzed condition TO more shell
tered position, which, however, was exceedingly
| difficult to find.
was the hottest place was ever in, and hot
ter than any hope for in the future. The losses
were terrible, more than half my comrades being
either killed or wounded, the other regiments OF
| the brigade suffering in proportion.
Speaking of hot places in battle, one does not
| cannot-understand fully what they are until he is
struck down the field there to lie utterly help
less. while bullets singing and humming, like
| ten hundred thousand swarms of bees, pattering
upon the ground and casting up little puts Of dust
| or dirt, as the rain-drops during a heavy shower
do the waters of lake, or crushing into the bone
] CIV with dui1 thud tho oIliveriup flesh
while grape and canister shot and shell are howl
| ing, kissing, screaming over and about his pros
! trate form-I say one must needs experience all
these things in order to fully understand the
meaning of the term "a hot place"
Then, if he think at all, he viii incline to the
belief that the cauldron of hell, with the cover off,
is but as an ice cavern when compared with the
particular locality fate has fated him to occupy.
The fighting continued only short time after 1
fell but before it fairly over still in search OF
place of safety dragged myself into the cut of
an abandoned railroad, which ran along the Hill
side almost at its summit and where the confeder-
ate infantry had lain. As did this caught a
glimpse of 4 small cabin standing just beyond the
batteries We had so vainly attempted to capture,
Icould perceive the roof and as low down as the
caves. The gable stood facing me, and in it was a
small window.
At this moment remembered my visions of the
.
in the direction of my comrades. They were in
full retreat followed up by the victorious foe. The
sun was low down in the heavens, just as had
seen it i'll my sleep.
Soon afterward the confederates carried me
back to the cabin. Hundreds OF our wounded were
there as well as many of the enemy's, besides a
large number of men who had died. Everything
corresponded with what l had gazed upon hours
before.
The vision was verified. Now comesthe curious
feature of the case The nearest had ever been
to the locality described previous to the day upon
which was wounded, was upon the old Bull Run
battlefield, some two miles distant and from which
il was absolutely impossible TO get even limited
view of the field upon which lay. had never
seen sketch or photograph of the country, MOI
read a description Of it or heard it described
These are facts beyond controversy. How,
then, is the matter to be explained? Was it sim
ply remarkable coincidence, or is the circum-
stance to be properly clasSed among those strange
cases of second sight, of which we read?
can understand an ordinary dream, for the
visions which it brings TO view are almost invar
ably based upon some incident of the past. The
visions may be grotesque distorted, but yet, il
we search long and carefully enough. we can rea-
sonabIy account for them As heat viii often re-
store the date upon coin otherwise undistinguish
able so sleep will frequently restore, through the
agency of dreams, scenes and events long since
forgotten and gone from the recollection during
waking hours. But the coin never bore date,
then nothing exists to be restored. And if there
be no foundation in fact, how can a simple dream
bring to view scenes through which the dreamer
subsequently passes, that are verified in every i'm
portant particular by mis- actual experience?
Iii knotty problem, and one have again and
again endeavored to solve, but without success
The facts are submitted as they actually pre-
scented themselves in my case, and let him who can
or thinks he can, furnish the key that shall ex
plain them satisfactorily.