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

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, a belief that
such preseDtiments do occur, and
that the catsstrophy foreshadowed is result
tant is largely entertained, though l don't
know why it should be so, unless it is that
their trade deals in ''battIe 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 premouitions 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, it is six to one and half dozen 10
the other. In fact, have no belief in the
efficacy of premonitions and presentments,
and honestly believe that they result In cir
cumstances-a disordered stomach, nervous
arrangement, or that tinge of superstition
as to good days, bad days ETC., which seems
to be inherent 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 de has mer-
cifully withheld from mankind the knowl-
edge of the day and hour Of death. And yet
Dnce upon a time my heart weAt 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-
Rlize, however, as will doubtless be seen
from the fact that am writing this letter.
BIRTHDAYS AND BATTLES.
On the 22d of July, 1863, 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 it
happened that the writer's regiment 9th
Virginia) was detached and ordered In to
Manassas gap, opposite TT. 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, "Why, this is
Murray's birthday aud so it was, though |
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 a fight before the day
was ended. You see, 1t 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 nv
spinal column, though affected to treat the
matter lightly. What was hardest TO bear
was the Internally evident tender sym
patty that was demonstrated bv nv COM
rades. They were earnest in the belief that
If we had battle Twas gone coon. AS soon
as our arms were stacked at the point we
were TO defend, while all theSrest of the men
were scattered about after lucious backber-
Ties, which were growing in proluson in the
fields, sneaked of into the bushes and
drawing my Testament / devoutly read the
sermon on the Mount, but l could not shake
off 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 fire from our pickets an
nounced the presence of the enemy. AS
ran toward the stack Of arms there was but
one thought-to do my duty, come what
might-and afterward l felt more comfort
able. 1t is not to the purpose TO speak of the
fight, which lasted till shutdown. Suffice it to
say that men were knocked down to the right
and left of me. and l came out of the affair
smilingly, and without a scratch: Not one
of our boys believed in old women's tales
after that. To show how deeply this super
stition had permeated the minds of the men
of the company, my captain told me that if be
had had the slightest excuse for putting me
dnfxr in l,a hur-.
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 my
comrades were influenced at this time by an
incident that happened at the battle of Seven
Pines, before Richmond, in 1862. RTL.
and myself were the only men in the COM
pany (Warenton Rifles from Fairfax
county. We had been schoolmates, slept
under the same blanket and eat our lob
Scouse out of the same frying pan. AS our
brigade was lying in reserve behind d. II.
Hips line l noticed that 'Bose'' was pen
sive and preoccupied in mind, thing very
unusual with him. Now, he was as brave
man as ever drew breath, and l knew that
his listlessness and gloom did not proceed
from any fear of the combat into which we
expected to be shortly called, but forbore to
question him, because in his own time he al
ways made me his confident. When, finally,
we were ordered into the fight. as we were
double-Quicking through the knee-deep lob
Jolly of mud to get into position, he suddenly
seized my hand and said: ''Tom, I am go
ing under to-day. I've felt it all day. Ii
you can, take the things out of my pocket
when I'm dead and send them home" /
Thought nothing of this, as it was about the
time we had gotten under fire, and as / was
a sergeant (fle-closer) 1 had enough
10 do when the line of battle
was hastily formed to occupy nv
,,p1ghts. We advanced under heavy FIRE.
an 4 lost sight of ''Boss" Our line, ir-
regularly formed on account of huge wood
piles, shelter tents, barns and outhouses,
was bspke and forced to fall back short
distance to the captured breastworks. These
we held until the enemy in front Of US had
been fanked and routed by the Seventh
regiment OF oar brigade. Searching over the
CORY field found my comrade literally rid
died with bullets, but still alive ana con-
scious. He haG fallen almost at the first
volley from the enemy. As soon as he saw
me he said: 81 SOid you so. Do what l
asked you. Get the surgeon to give me some
opium and let me DIE easily" did what be
asked, and the next morning, wrapped In
captured blankets, we buried him on the
field Of honor, the bursting shells over his
grave from the enemy's guns 1.-THE second
days battle was then ragfng) forming fit
ting salute for his obsequfss.
Now, "Boss'' was a man of immense vi
tality and supreme nerve. / do not reeollect
ever before this date to have seen him give
way to mental depression or nervous fancies.
We're his sudden depression and his death