Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-03
FULFILLED
Strange Story, the Facts Of Which
We're Furnished by the Rev. {.
W. Ward, Of Florida,
Whose Father, Commander Ward, Died
in the Arms OF His Son and Thus
Verified a Very Sad Dream.

Dreams" said the Stagiriie more than 2Z50
years age, sis not TO be disbelieEed."
l am surprised TO find no mention made in
AppIeton's (Nep) encyclopedia of the late
James Hosman Ward who was killed ID the
bombardment of Matthias Point, June q,
1861, although many lesser names have
therein received extended notice, and Alli-
bone, in his valuable dictionary of authors,
informs US that he was known TOR his pub
lished works in three departments of naval
warfare.
It was many years ago, while this officer
vas stationed in command of a corvette on
the coast of Africa, that his family removed
10 a new residence in Orange, n. J., and as
Mrs. Ward was about retiring for the night
she remarked to the rest of the household, in
accordance with a superstition OF the times
not yet entirely dissipated from the mind of
the present day-that each one should en-
that first night OF occupancy in their new
abode take note of their several dreams. II
was on this very night that Mrs. Ward
dreamed, or saw in the vision of dream
CHAD visions OF her head upon her bed :"
Dan. ii, v. 2S) that her husband wac cap
sized from a small boat, some distance from
his vessel, and struggling for his life by hold
ing on TO the keel OF the upiurned boat. She
also soon after saw a small boat put out from
the VESSEL, steer directly for her husband, but
pass by and not return; again, in a-litsie
m annssi-fo me rescue, approach the drown
ing officer, when this, too, in like manner
passed by and did not return. Again, she
saw third boat similarly dispatched; she
saw it drawing nearer and nearer the drown
ing man (for now there appeared to be two).
Alasl this also passed by them, but return
ing, it picked up sailor and then the hus-
band, and they were boih taken safely on
board their vessel. Awakened by the excite
ment of the dream Mrs. Ward noted carefully
the hour. Several months afterward, when
the corvette returned to the Brooklyn navy
yard and Capt. Ward visited his family at
Orange, almost the first thing told him was
the story of the remarkable dream. At first
he gave litae heed, knowing Mrs. Wards
prediction for the supernatural; but the
particulars were rehesrsed, he became erectus
ouTibuS, more attentive, and at the close
quietly asked his wife If she had noted the
particular date OF the dream. Being in
formed not only as 10 the date, bat of the
exact hour, he compared il with the log of
the -zsssel; and after making due allowance
for the difference of Longitude between New
Jersey snd the point on the coast of At
rica where the accident OIL Cured, confirmed
the vision by stating that at that very hour
while attempting 10 pass in an open boat
from his vessel TO the coast, he was over
turned in the breakers, but clingiug 10 the
keel of his boat until bis nails were pulled
of, be was finally rescued as it was dreamed;
that those in the first and second boat found
it impossible 10 effect the rescue without be-
ing swamped, but when the third APP
preached Capt. Ward directed the rowers 10
pass by and take them in on the return with
their bow toward the ocean, and to take the
sailor first as he was about sinking, and as
for himself he could hold on a minute
longer. Thus both were finally saved.
Does any reader observe that this is merely
a synchronous dream, and is fully accounted
for in the simple theory of clairvoyance?
What, then, will he do with the following
narrative which have from the same source
and which gives later occurrences in the his
tory of the same officer?
Very soon after the rebellion had begun,
Capt. Ward was placed in charge of the Po-
tomac fotilla. His con Frederic, then a
youth of seventeen years, student in the
New York College, requested his fathers
permission to accompany him, but was re-
fused on account of the danger to which he
would necessarily be exposed. That night
he dreamed that he saw his father on one of
the decks of vessel, sitting on an old
lounge, the very same one he had seen his
father occupy on board the old North Caro-
tina receiving ship al the Brooklyn navy
yard, where Capt. Ward was placed in COM
mand in 1857. He further saw his father in
the attitude of removing his under wrapper,
and exhibiting a blood red spot near the
middle of his abdomen. The sou was so
affected by this singular dream that he tele-
graphed his father for permission 10 come TO
Washington, but not receiving a reply the
same dream required the following night, in
all its precise details. This intensified his
anxiety so much that, without longer wait
ing he stood not upon the order of his going
but went at once. His father happening
then 10 be in Washington, yielded consent
and took his son with him in the gunboat.
The rebel batteries at Acquia creek had
been cannonaded and sileuced By Capt.
Ward, May 31s, and he was proceeding to
dislodge battery that the rebels were To-
eating at Matthias Point. Before active OPP |
srations were commenced the father placed |
mis- son on a sloop that was towed out of |
range of the enemy's fret was a brief |
space, however, before the signal went up to |
bring back the sloop. The son fastened on |
board the gunboat aud hurried TO the pres
.nce of his father whom he found sitting up
IN the same old lounge, upon the same deck
and in the set of taking off his undershirt,
too, the bright red spot in his
stomach, and in one hour the father was a
corpse In the arms Of his son.
These facts were told me last summer by |
son of Capt. Ward, for some years an
lrtist of considerable merit, but for the last
welve an Episcopal clergyman Of rare
lbility-the Rev. Charles w. Ward, of
florida.
Such dreams as these are but links in one
hahn of psychological facts which have
ome down through al the ages, constraining
he human mind to one conclusion, the de-
nonstrated Immortality of the soul, as was
specially told by Saint Augustine, of Gen.
adius, whose apparition taught him that,
s he could see with his eyes closed, by pari-
y of reasoning, he would find that when his
oddly senses were extinct, he would see and
esr and feel with his spiritual body.
There is natural body, asd there is a
piritual body"