Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-17
A SOLDIERS YARN.
Beating the Ghost Story Record-D cad
Gunnars Coming Back to Drill.
From TIE liaaeapOlis Tribnns.

DG1tAAA shu NNAOee SbOAJ NsSCOEU-O0Nu
Gunners Coming Back to Drill.
"' From TIE AdaaAapolis Tribune.
The strangestq experience I7ever had
was at old Fort William, on Governors
island, in New York harbor, over twenty
years ago. was sergeant at the time,
marrieds and with my young wife had
been living in a small house on the lower
end OF the island, but the commanding
0fffcer concluded TO tear 10 down, and i
was told TO select the best rooms Of the
nc6mniissinned officers quarters OF the
then 5unOccupied fort. What with my
usual military duties and the fatigue Of
moving and placing things to rights ! was
pretty. well tired out when night came
and slept like a,log. My wife was worn
to he disturbed every night by what she
called sstbe funniest uoises, that sounded
just like thunder" but paid but little
attention to her, thinking THAI it was only
the nofse6f passirie steamboats, or the
wash of the water on the shore. 1t might
haVeNbeen two weeks after | had settled
down that one night | awake suddenly
from q sound sleep with that peculiar
feeling Ot dread or une2siness upon
me which aTises from an unknown cause
and has been experienced by nearly all
ofus. 60 Iat saa- t'
''Johh, do you hear it now% asked
my wife when she discovered was
awake; sit sounds like some persons vt
work below.v .4,r
LfseeuiRg for a short time, recognized
familiar sounds, and had not been posi-
tive that the doors were locked, with the
keys hanging on y nail in my room. |
would have sworn that the batteries were
manned by experienced gunners. The
rstsfNtr4 ~ - H.,
the gums in, the ring of the rammer, the
handling of the shot that lay piled in read
mess for use, the return of the iron
wheels over the rails as il was run out of
the port was perfect in every detail, only
lacking the words OF command and the
report Of the piece to complete the illu-
sion.
AS l listened, the uproar increased in
volume until it was impossible for us to
hear each others voices without raising
them to high pitch. The guns were
served with what seemed incredible ra-
plditY, and the very walls, massive as
they were, trembled under the heavy ar
tillery in continual motion, W bile the balls
were rolling from one end of the case
ments to the other, striking the sides with
heavy thuds. Unable to stand this state
OF affairs any longer, | arose and, lighting
my lantern, took the keys along with a
loaded revolver and, descending the stairs
az lightly as possible, reached the doors.
The noise at this point was, If anything,
more desfening than when | left my
room.
Cautiously inserting the key into the
lock cooked my six-shooter, and throw
ing the door open suddenly, with raised
lantern and weapon presented entered
the nearest easement to find it unOccu-
pied, save by the grim old gun and the
shot stacked in their usual places. 1t was
the same in every battery entered. Not
footprint disturbed the thick dust upon
the floor, nor was there a fnger-mark up
on either the gun or shot. The tOmpiOns
were in place and no carriage mad travel
ed over the rusty rails. COMPOUNDED even
still more than was before. Returned to
my room, and was disturbed no more that
night. The racket, however, commenced
again the following night, and was kept
up, with slight intermissiOn, for month.
My account of this singular disturbance
was met with jests and laughter from my
fellOw-sOldiers, which they modified, it is
true, when | cOrroborated it by my wife,
but then only so far as to declare that it
was scheme on our part to get removed
from uncomfortable quarters to one of the
new quarters then about completed. Net
tied at their taunts, vowed that if ever
the noises commenced again would have
other witnesses to them, and | did not
have long to wait, for about one month
after l was awakened by the phantom
gunners. This time passed out over the
dTawbridge, and, going to the mems quar-
ters, awakened a sergeant by the name of
Smith-poOr fellow! he served with me
twenty years and is now at the insane
asylum at WashingtOh-and much against
his will made him accompany me to the
scene. After standing listening TO the
racket until Smiths face was as white as
a sheet, and he was trembling from head
to foot, threw open the door. Smith al
ways declared that for a moment he saw
the ghostly crew at their places, but 1
could detect nothing, nor could / ever
discover any cause tor the disturbance,
although | often was awakened by the
nightly drill of my invisible artillerymen.
Some months after leaving the island
] learned that during the Mexican war
an artillery company drilled with these
guns some time before they left for Mexi-
co and that they were nearly all killed in
battle. ! suppose it must have been a
freak Of theirs to have their reunions in
these easements and practice with their
old friends. the guns.