The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-09-13
WAS IT A VISION ?

skirmishers in front of Longstreet
(Confederate) corps, not far from
Gainesville, Va. During the day there
was some firing on the part of the
opposite forces, but no sustained
engagement, although we cotinued to
press upon the enemy until darkness
settled down and put an end to further
maneuvers.
AT nightfall, l with four or five COM
panies of my command, remained in
the position occupied by them durin g
the day, while the rest of the regiment,
detailed for picket duty advanced to the
front.
was in excellent health and spirits,
but being greatly fatigued, fell asleep
almost Immediately after the arrange
ment for the night had been perfected,
and soon began to dream.
For some considerable time my mind
wandered over the events or dwelt upon
the scenes which were familiar, and
which, upon awakening L found no
difficulty in locating.
After while, however, l wandered
into dreamland where all seemed
strange. L fancied myself in line of
battle with my comrades lying in a piece
of timber fringing an open field for some
considerable extent, the farther side
of which sloped gently forward form
ing a ridge parallel to our front. Upon
the ridge could distinguish something
like dozen cannons, and could see the
Confederate artillerymen resting upon
the earth or lounging in little groups
with their guns, as distinctly as l could
have done with my natural vision.
1 could almost perceive the puffs of
smoke from the rifles of the enemy's
sharpshooters and hear the reports of
their firearms, and the ding and thud of
the bullets. might here mention as q
further description of the field, that the
wood in which we lay was quite clear
of underbrush; that we occupied the
edge nearest the foe, with rail fence
between us and the cleared space of
which have spoken, and this fence
some three hundred yards, more or less,
to our right turned off at right angle
and ran quite up to the Confederate
line. AS was the case where we lay, so
it was on our right. The fence separated
the cleared field from the timber, which
latter constituted two sides of paral-
ellogram, the angle being, as already OBJ
served, not far from the right wing of
my regiment.
While was taking in these details,
and experiencing meanwhile the pecu-
liar sensation which sometimes annoy
even old campaigners when compelled
to remain inactive under dropping fire,
L thought an order came for us to charge
the batteries before us.
About midway in our line, running
parallel with our line, 1 noticed a de-
preston commonly called by farmers a
Dead furrrow"-it being the "finish-
ing OFF, place in ploughed fields. We
passed over this and continued our
charge across the open space and up the
slope to the very muzzle of the cannon
comrades falling by scores at every step
and then, all at once, we seemed to be
enveloped in impenetrable darkness
Ny senses were left blank. The next
moment, however, light returned and
was lying on the ground, fighting still
going on about me, but whether wound
ed or not, my dream, or whatever it
was, did not inform me.
While thus PROSTATE and helpless,
gazed about me and saw,a short distance
in the rear of the guns, a small cabin,
and in its gable, which was towards me,
a window.
About the building were grouped
many wounded men, some standing,
others lying down. In the immediate
vicinity of myself there seemed to be
hundreds who had fallen in the con-
test.
Casting my eyes in the direction from
which we had come, l beheld the rem
nant of my command in full retreat
also noticed the sun, which was shin
ing brightly, and appeared to be in the
vicinity of an hour above setting.
At this point was awakened from
my slumber, and learned the time to be
about P. NJ, of August 20. Having
my dream as 1 considered it, in my
mind, / made inquiries and ascertained
that during my nap everything had re-
manned unusually quiet, only few
shots having been exchanged on the
picket line.
An hour after we were on the march
to Manassas and the battletield.of Grove
ton