The National tribune., 1886-10-21
ON CBE4T RIVER
A Regiment DemOralized by a Mis-
chieVOuS VentrilOguist.



Many well-known citizens Of Western Penn
sylyania belonged 10 the pa, notable among
them being the Hon. w. III Graham, at present
Recorder of Allegheny County, Maj. A. J. PEN
tecost. Cant. O. T. West, b. i. Kurtz Hanna
man Grey and others. j give these names as
references 10 the authenticity Of my story.
Two miles below our quarters the clear and
limpid waters Of the beautiful Cheat River
flowed silently through some Of the granGest
aud most magnificent scenery that this country
contains Twenty miles away, on the Ale
gheny Mountains, the rebels had built a fort,
aud between us lay the beautiful valley OF
Green Briar, aud with a good fiedGlass we
could look al each other. This Green Briar
Valley was the theaterof many brush between
the two contending parties. For protection
from the bitter cold our pickets at the bridge
crossing the Cheat Riyerhad erected a log hut,
where ID was the custom for the guard 10 biv-
Ouac and with this log hut my story has 10 do.
One clear, cold night in December a party of
20 men were in the hut composed of members
of our regiment and detailed as guard under
the command of the Captain of Co. j, who in
civil life was a doctor of medicine and a re-
maTkably intelligent and well-read man. OF
course we had plenty of topics for conversation
while on guard, but on the particular night in
question our thoughts seemed unanimously 10
rest on The subject of ghosts. Every man had
some weird aud unearthy tale TO unfold, when
finally the Officer Of the Guard, the nj. ID.
aforesaid. put kind OF damper on our elab-
crate efforts by stating point blank that
1T WAS SHEER NONSENSE
and born Of superstitious aud ignorant ideas,
aud we would do well 10 let our thoughts be
busted with something more rational and wOr-
thy of consideration. In brief, he pooh -poohed
all such tales, said there were no haunted
houses. no phantom ships and no phUniXes ex-
cept ia marble. Then. with one fell blow, he
proclaimed that all the fairy stories so dear 10
every Irish heart, ali the fables Of the enchant-
mcnt Of the Hartz Mountains so implicitly be-
leved in by the German peasants, and the
Voudoo tales OF the negroes OF the South, were
n compound of damphoOishneSs. Some OF us
were ready TO coincide with the Captain, espe-
cially when lac said he would like to see ghost
trot out, as he had passed about 30 years Of his
life and had never seen anything Of the kind.
When the conversation had become animated
and general a sudden cry rang out in the still
ness of the night:
Corporal OF the Guard ~
The Corporal on duty sprang to his feet,
seized his rifle and ran out of the hut TO the
bridge where four of our men were on picket
duty. I'm 10 minutes he came back quite an
cry and said the pickets denied having called
him. lie protested against being pulled out
on such a cold night without any reason, an
opinion with which we all agreed, and we were
not afraid of any rebel attack being made Just
at that time, as our scouts had returned that
very afternoon and reported all quiet, and that
there was not human being between us and
the rebel camp. Scarcely had the Corporal
taken his seat nearest the fire, when again the
Cry was clearly and distinctly heard from the
direction of the bridge:
Corporal Of the Guard!"
The Corporal, this time thoroughly aroused
and angry, rushed out of the hut followed by
three or four of us, and when we got TO the
what was the matter. The soldiers again de-
MED and said
WE WERE PACK OF IDIOTS;
they would swear on stack of Bibles as high
as a church spre that they had not called.
The Corporal and his followers came back 10
the hui and reported the facts.
The boys looked M each other, and ominous
shakes OF the head from some of the more SUI
persttious spoke louder than words of their
peculiar feolnqs. The Captain, in his wisdom
claimed that the pickets were playing" the
Corporal, which, however, from the high char
acter Of the men on guard, was Immediately
denied by the whole OF us in chorus. The men
on picket were Of the type of American man
hood that would scorn TO tell lie when asked
for the truth.
We gathered closer together, some claiming
that ihey were cold, but the truth was they
were scared. We were again comfortably seated
and silence almost painful prevailed when
again, in the stiffness of the night, rang out
that cry:
Corporal OF the Guard!"
We all instinctiyely sprang TO our feet,
grasped our guns, and rushed out of the hut as
fast as our legs could carry US. The pickets,
as before, repudiated all knowledge of where
the cries came from, and now, mystifed be-
yond all doubt, we crcpt back 10 our hut and
then and there agreed between us TO stand
double guard, so badly were we demoralized.
The long hours of the night finally came TO an
end, and right glad were we 10 be relieved from
duty and take our march up 10 our mountain
eyrie The relieved guard reported TO Col.
Moss. and our officer briefly related the events
of The night and promulgated the opinion that
If this mystery was not speedily cleared up, il
would spread through the regiment and not a
man would again 90 on picket duty.
The Colonel twho by the way was also an
NJ D., Virginia gentleman of the old school
strict discplinarian, and a soldier every inch
Of him, looked grave. lie did not pooh-pooh
but simply said:
" ] will tell you, boys, what this u.s. You may
now break ranks, take yonr arms 10 your quar-.
ters, and report at headquarters in one hours
time, when will positively relieve your minds
as TO this wonderful phenomenon"
HurryiuR 10 our quarters we quickly attended
90 getting ourselves into presentable shape and
reported promptly within the hour at the Colo,
Del's quarters. These sellsame quarters, albeit
a shanty made of logs, were comfortably
~ NOT LUXURIoUsLY FURNISHED.
We found assembled there the Colonel (Dr
Moss, The Major, a Pittsburger named Cakes
and our TWO regimental Surgeons, Drs Hazleti
and Ford, the former being Surgeon of the reg
iment aud the latter the Assistant BY thes,
gentlemen we were received with that military
courtesy which is practiced by all educated
officers of the United States Army. BY ordel
OF thc Colonel we were given camp-stOols and
when we were seated and silence was obtained
Col. Moss addressed rs as follows:
Soldiers, your Officer of the Day has re
ported 10 me the remarkable and unaccOuntabls
mystery Of last night and promised TO throw
light On the subject hou are all aware of the
facl that prior TO the outbreak of this rebellion
j was physician, practicing my profession ia
the little city OF PRrkcrsburg, W. Va, anC
while 80 engaged an accident, quite as remark
able and Just as difficult 10 solve happened
which. il il had not been fully cleared up TO IN,
satisfaction, might have had the effect of turn
ing my bran-in short. have driven me TO in
sanity. i know thai you. one and all fee
powerfully the influence which this strang,
affair has cast over yOn. You wonder whenc
the cries OF Corporal of the Guard could pos
sibly have come. You Intercepted the guards
searched every nook and corner looked up int,
the trees and If anyone had left here you cOulS
easily have tracked him in the snow. Nothin,
has been left undOne that would throw clean
Of light on the matter Dreadful indeed woul,
be the thought that some lost soul tperhaDs ON,
OF our comrades who fell on Rich Mountain al
at Green Briar River this last campaign) coult
not find admttance 10 that heavenly realm 1,
which all poDd EoldierS fnOrp agpafiallV the >,