The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1886-02-26

THE nATTLEs on THE DEAD.

THE BATTLES OF THE DEAD.
It IL midnight IN the brick farmhouse
at Charlottesville the new building
on the site Of The one partially DESTROYED
when Hooker marched his troops into
the wilderness 10 get In tho rear Of Lcf
at Fredericksburg. IN the yard are tho
notting wheels Of gun carriages; IN the
south wall are dozen cannon balls
firmly iInbeddcd; hall mile below j.
che stone marking the spot where Stone
wall Jackson received his mortal wound
here Is the same dark forest which
sheltered friend anil foo
Are you asia,p2
..No.n
The last stroke Of II had scarcely died
away when the farmer olpned my bed
room door TO ask the question.
Then maybe you'd like 10 sec II?
"Whatg'
The battle Of Charlottesville. The
Federal troops are now in sight on the
Ely's Ford road. =
hastily dressed and passed out into
The yard with him. | noticed that he
had on Confederate uniform, dusty
and worn looked at my own gar
mentsi they were blue He pointed bis
finger down the road. and saw through
the mist Of tho summer niaht prcnt
army approaching There Was cavalry.
infantry and artillery fhnfn we're fars
and banners md ambuIancch In two
minutes more the head Of the column
had reached the Charlottesville plank
road Some turned TO The right. somo
20 the left, some plunged into the gloomy
pine thlckels beyond.
"But hear no noise not tho foot
step Of horse nor the clank o. saber,"
protested
'Ilushl It's u battle Of the dead! The
spirits OF the thousands who fell hero
have come TO fight the battle once
againr'
looked Mt him more closely and
saw the light Of battle IN his eyes. His
form grew erect, his feet seemed impa-
tent and ho scented the air as II eager
70 Join IN the fray.
Now tho highways and byways the
cleared fields the open woods-tho
lonely thiokets well full Of blue uniforms.
Couriers and aides galloped htee and
there staff officers turned heads OF
columns to the right or left II was so
strange 10 witness those thousands NOV
ing with such order and yet giving out
no sound.
Look seer whispered my compan-
ion as he pointed down the plank road
There was cloud Of smoke rolling
up out Of the pine woods End blotching
the starlit sky like n stain Of blood. Il
spread and grew until half the stars Of
heaven were hidden. Meanwhile tho
face of every man in blue was turned
that way. We saw battery after battery,
regiment after regiment, brigade after
brigade, move down TO the scene Of CON
fiict Tongues Of flame flashed through
the smoke-cloud and lighted up thicket
and field, but there was no sound. The
stiffness of night was almost painful.
"llere are the resultsm whispered the
Confederate. and looked 70 the right
and left 20 behold tho dead and wound
cd. | could SEQ them In the fields under
Che pines, ON the highway. Some
faces showed fear aud horror others
expressed yindlotlvcness. There were
horses lying dead others hobbling
about and seeming TO appeal for mercy,
at is horrbler'I whispered.
Aye! but IL is over
] looked again and tho vision had
faded The highways were barren OF
life the fields and forests at peace Tho
smoke cloud had disappeared, and the
dead and wounded had been spirited
away.
ARA so the dead OF tho armies fight
their battles o'erp' asked.
"As you have seen, he solcmnly re.
piled, Until the hate and rancor of
men Is no more ~untl all mon arc Mt
peace the spirits Of those who fell In
battle cannot rost They must plan
campaigns and tight their battles as of
old. The vision you have seen here is
repeated at Antietam, Gettysburg, vlcks-
burg. Franklin on hundred battle
fields of America Let Us 90 in - De-
troh Free Press.