Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-17
AREAL GHOST STORY
The Frightful Experience OF a COnfed.
crate Soldier in a Haunted House on
the Road from Houston, Tex.
He Follows the Spirit Twice, but Re-
fuses a Third Time, When She
s'Scared Him Out of His
BOOts.''

To the Editors OF the Appeal:
Frequently in the last decade discussions
have arisen in the columns of the APPEAL
as to the truth or falsity of the teachings of
Spirituslism, and whether or not those dead
in the body ever could, or did, visibly and
audibly appear to those living. Though
discussion of this subject has Of late died
out to a great extent, yet we know that
thousands of highly educated and intelligent
people do now firmly believe that the dead
both can and do communicate with The liv-
ing. Without quoting the several instances
related in the Bible, where those once dead
conversed with and were seen by the living
ewell know that among all peoples, ancient
and modern, there has been a widespread
belief in continuation OF existence after
death of the body, and of the power of those
who had died remembering all they did
while living, retaining their affections and
antipalhies, and being able to appear to and
communicate with some few peculiarly con-
stituted individuals. 1t will hardly do to
say that these beliefs were entertained by
persons OF morbid imaginations only, for
they were and are widespread, and among
those almost destitute of learning or imagina-
ton. The German pesantry OF to-day even
believe in their
and in double aungers, or persons having
the power of being IN two places at once
the hard-headed Scotch in their seers and
omens the Irish in fairies and ghosts. In
ancient times the reasoning Brutus, educated
in the most malerialistic age of the world,
believed he saw and conversed with the ghost
of Cesar. Napoleon the Great believed in
his star of destiny, and the lamented Mr..
Garfield, it is said IN the 18th of October
Naxu 0on holI orlu / tnott ls.
exceptions only prove the rule, be without
foundation in fact, or if We discard the
stories of apparitions as illusions of disor-
dered imaginatIons, what will we say causes
the almost universal belief, sentiment or
superstition that pervades mankind? /
know that most persons ridicule all stories of
ghosts and apparitions. They have never
seen one. 1 have.
Lest / should be accused Of dreaming, or
having a morbid imagination, will state
that i have been under fire in a number Of
pitched battles and many skirmishes; have
more than once been drawn under the MUDDY
water OF the Mississippi until fire flashed
before my eyes and thunder reared in my
ears, in dragging out drowning people, is
known to some yet living in this city have
passed through pestilence and shipwreck
without loosing my presence of mind or
being very materially alarmed. In word,
my education and training have been rather
philosophic and materialistic than otherwise.
In April, 1865 was ordered from Shreve-
port, La, the then headquarters of the Con-
federate trans Mississippi department, to
General j. Bankhead Magruder, at Houston,
Tex, with dispatches, and to report the con-
dition of affairs on Red river. In the con-
dition of affairs that then existed it was
necessary for anyone who Travelled TO take
everything he required with him, especially
his rations and forage, for the country was
bare of supplies and
CONFEDERATE MONEY PRACTICALLY WORTH
LESS.
The only places at which shelter could be
had was at stations, as they were called,
where the cotton wagons taking cotton to
and bringing supplies from Mexico halted,
where couriers, staff officers with dispatches
etc, stopped for the night. These were from
forty to fifty miles apart on the Houston
road. / secured buggy and one horse, and
Harvesting my own riding horse with him,
prepared myself for the trip by filling the
box of the buggy with shelled corn for my
team, and a plentiful supply Of bareback
and bacon for myself. The first evening l
reached Marshall, Tex; the second and
third nights stopped at the stations have
alluded to. The condition of the country at
that time was far different from the present,
and where now it is belted with rail-
roads and filled with thriving towns and
villages, it was then almost waste,
| and a most dreary one. The fourth
day out, about 3 or A o'clock in
the evening, l was caught by norther,
accompanied by rain; there being no shelter
nearer than the next station, and knowing
my team would suffer much, if not die, I'M
less sheltered from the cold blast, pushed
on to the station, reaching 1t about dark.
The stable and yard were crowded with
teams, and the house, or rather hut, with
the drivers. On asking the keeper or
landlord if he could shelter my horses and
self, he replied: "Well. Colonel, you can
come in and take your chance with the rest
Tve got lots of beef and cornbread, but your
critters ill have TO be staked out. for
EVERY DARNED PLACE UNDER SHELTER AND
THE LOT Is CHoCK FULL"
l tried hard to get shelter for my team, tell
ing the man that could very well sleep in
my buggy, but must have my horses shell
tered. at can't be did," said he; "frst
come, first served, you know" as there no
other house near here" / asked impatiently.
"None nearer than the next station, bout
fifty miles," he replied. Then, scratching
his head, Thar is a lot of Dutchmen settled
bout fifteen or twenty miles north OF here,
but you don't want to go that way, / feckon."
L was now thoroughly angry, and anxious for
my team, and said: Oh your thick head,
is there no shed, shauty or cover of any kind
within FIVE miles of here where l can shelter
my horses from the norther" snow, Colo
mel" said be, you needn't get mad bout it.
Pm full, but since / come to think bout it,
thar is a house bout five miles from here, a
mile or SO off the main road, and its mighty
sight better house than I've got; but you
won't stay there all night, reckon, for its
haunted" "Haunted be d-dp' / answered.
81 don't care if the devil is in it; show me
the way to it," The man pointed down and
to the right of the Houston road to a clump
OF trees, which appeared to be four or five
miles of. 'Thar's the house, Colonel, and
the finest one in the country, but you won't
stay thar all night. Some fellows have tried
it, but they always left in hurry. You kin
do as rs you like, but for my part I'd rather
take my chances oil freezing to death on the
prairie than try it,"
The moon was at the full, and though the
sky was overcast with heavy clouds and it
wac blowing and raining hard, yet objects
could be plainly distinguished. The clump
of trees, the only one within sight, could be
readily seen on the open prairie. Caring
nothing for
THE LANDLORDS SUPERSTITION,
and only solicitous of sheltering myself and
horses, put them to speed down the road,
and on arriving opposite the grove of trees
turned across the prairie TO it. As neared
IT could see that II was grove OF some
ten or twelve acres, oQ getting within which
the house could be seen in an opening of
one or two acres extent. AS ! drove up to
the house / could see that the open space
had once been laid out with taste in shrub
berry, bordered walks and drives, though now
tangled and bitten down by cattle. The
house was story and half OF wood, built
above an adobe basement, which last was
surmounted by Eigh veranda. Driving
under the veranda / unhitched my horses,
vithout embarrassing Them securing