St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-26
WARNINGS OF DEATH.
Some Strange Presentiments Of Sol
diers Before a Battle.
Birthdays and Battles-A Game Of Poker and
What Came of 1t.
[washington Republican. /


In reading the personal experiences of
participants in battles and campaigns, one
often comes across stories Of apparently well
authenticated instances where men SEEM
ingly had forewarning Of their approaching
doom, and who, after making the arrange
ments naturally attendant on such fore
knowledge, such as disposition of property,
messages TO relatives, and so on, met their
doom accordingly. Among soldiers and
sailors, as class, belief that
such presentiments do occur, and
that the catastrophy foreshadowed is result
tant is largely entertained, though / don't
know why it should be so, unless it is that
their trade deals in "battle and murder and
in sudden death" In conversation on this
subject many time have been asked If
during my soldier life had known instances
where these so called premonitions were full
filed. replied that had, and then again
know of so called presentiments just as vivid
in the mind of the subject which had not
been fulfilled. As far as my experience
goes, il is six TO one and half dozen TO
the other. In fact, have no belief in the
efficacy of premonitions and presentiments.
dQQ uOuesllY OcucFc bldb tuCf lCSuN ia I'll
cumstances-a disordered stomach, nervous
arrangement, or that tinge Of superstition
as to good days, bad days ETC., which seems
to beinherent in the great body of men,
even the educated.
Now, have seen many strange things
during the war which could not nationally
account for, but for that matter all nature is
mystery, and while believe in an over
ruling Providence, know that He has mer-
cifully withheld from mankind the knowl-
edge of the day and hour of death. And yet
once upon time my heart went down into
my boots, so to speak, under the firm BELIEF
that was to be killed before the setting Of
the sun-a presentiment that Didn't materi-
alize, however, as win doubtless be seen
from the fact that am writing this letter.
BIRTHDAYS AND BATTLES.
On the 22d of July, 1868, when the army
OF Gen. Lee was retreating from Gettysburg
behind the mountain wall of the Blue Ridge,
the federal cavalry took possession Of the
gaps and were very SASSY in their repeated
assaults upon the long line Of transportation.
AS our cavalry had been literally run off its
legs. Gen. Lee was forced to make use OF his
infantry to repel these assaults, and so 1t
happened that the writer's regiment (17th
Virginia) was detached and ordered in to
Manassas gap, opposite Fit. Royal, to hold it
while the wagon trains were passing. Now
it was beautiful morning, and as we trudged
along in high spirits from the ozone OF the
mountain air. some i'll boding raven of a
cumrade suddenly suggested, "Wby, this is
Murray's birthday and so it was, though l
had forgotten it for the time being. Instantly
the quip and jest were silenced, and the fel-
lows looked at me with plying sympathy, for
we expected to have fight before the day
was ended. You see, it was an old woman S
tale with US that the man who went into bat
tie on his birthday would inevitably lose his
life. don't mind confessing that the cold
chills chased each other rapidly down my
spinal column, though l affected to treat the
matter lightly. What was hardest to bear
was the internally evident tender sym
pathy that was demonstrated by my COM
rades. They were earnest in the belief that
if we had battle Twas gone coon. As soon
as our arms we're stacked at the point We
were to defend, while all the!rest of the men
were scattered about after lucious blackber-
ries, which were growing in proiusion in the
fields | sneaked off into the bushes and
drawing my Testament / devoutly read the
sermon on the Mount, but ] could not shake
of the gloomy depression of spirits, and was
only hopeful that there wouldn't be fight
that day after all. This hope was fallacious,
for it had scarcely passed through my mind
before rafting lire from our pickets an
nounced the presence Of the enemy. As
ran toward the stack of arms there was but
one tnought-to do my duty, come what
might-and afterward / felt more comfort
able. 1t is not to the purpose TO speak Of the
fight, which lasted till shutdown. Suffice it tc
say that men were knocked down to the right
and left of me. and came out OF the affair
smilingly, and without a scratch. Not one
of our boys believed in old women's tale!
after that. To show how deeply this super
stiticn had permeated the minds of the mer
of the company, my captain told me that if b.
had had the slightest excuse for putting IN,
on duty in the rear, he would have sent mi
there when the fight began, and that while
the battle was going on he looked every min
ute to see me fall.
AN'INCIDENT OF SEVEN PINES.
Perhaps my own feelings and those of m,
comrades were influenced at this time by al
incident that happened at the battle of Sever
Pines, before Richmond, in 1862. R. T. L
and myself were the only men in the com
pany (Wdrrenton Rifles from Fairfa
county. We had been schoomates, slep
under the same blanket and eat our lob
scouse out of the same frying pan. AS GU
brigade was lying in reserve behind D. II
HIPS line / noticed that 'Bose" was pen
sive and preoccupied in mind, a thing yer
unusual with him. Now, he was as brave
man as ever drew breath, and 1 knew ths
his listlessness and gloom did not proeee
from any fear of the ombat into which W
expected to be shortly called, but forbore I
question him, because in his own time he al
ways made me his confident When, finally
we were ordered into the fight. as we wer
adouble-quicking through the deep lot
Aolly Of mud to get into position, be suddenl
sseized my hand and said: tom, am &C
hng under to-day. I've felt it all day.
you can, take the things out of my pocke
when I'm dead and send them home"
Rhought nothing of this, as it was about th
Eime we had gotten under fire, and as wa
q sergeant (fle-closer) had enoug
TO do when the line of battl
was hastily formed to occupy ID
thoughts. We advanced under heavy fire
and lost sight Of "Boss.r Our line, il
ssgularly formed on account of huge WOO
plies, shelter tents, barns and clubhouse.
was broken and forced to fall back a sho
distance to the captured breastworSs. Thes
we held until the enemy in front of us ha
been fanked and routed by the Sevent
regiment of our brigade. Searching over th
CORY field found my comrade literally rio
died with bullets, but still alive and col
scious. He had fallen almost at the FIR:
volley from the enemy. AS soon as he sa
me he said: 81 told you So Do what
asked you. Get the surgeon to give me som
opium and let me die easily" ] did what
asked and the next morning wrapped
captured blankets, we buried him on I'll
field Of honor, the bursting shells over b
grave from the enemy's guns (the secou
davis hottla vrae than rooiroA for,ni,r a Il,