Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-02-11

troyed when Hooker marched his
troops into the wilderness to get in
the rear of Lee at Fredericksburg.
In the yard are the rotting wheels Of
gun-carriages; in the south wall are
dozen cannon-balls firmly imbedded;
half mile below is the stone mark
ing the spot where Stonewall Jackson
received his mortal wound; here is
~ eense dark iarsst which shsl1ppsd
friend and Zoe.
"Are you asleep?"
mo"
The last stroke Of twelve had
scarcely died away when the farmer
opened my bedroom door to ask the
question.
Then maybe you'd like to see it?"
WHAT"
The battle of Charlottesville.
The Federal troops are now in sight
on the Ely's Ford road"
hastily dressed ard passed out
into the yard with him. I noticed
that he had on Confederate uniform,
dusty and worn. l looked at my own
garments; they were blue. He point
ed his fnger down the road, and
saw through the mist of the summer
night a great army approaching.
There was cavalry. infantry and ar.
tillery--there were flags and banners
and ambulances. In two minutes
more the head of the column had
reached the Charlottesville plank
road. Some turned to the right, some
to the left, some plunged into the
gloomy pine thickets beyond.
"But I hear no noise-not the foot
step of a horse nor the clank OF a saber, ''
7 protested.
"Hnshl 'Tis battle Of the dead
The spirits Of the thousands who fell
here have come to fight the battle
once aRain!"
I looked at him more closely and
I saw the light Of battle in his ewes.
His form grew erect. his feet seemed
imnatient and he scented the air as
if half eager to Join in the frav.
Now the highways and bvwavs-
the cleared felds-the open woods-
the lonely thickets were full of blue
uniforms. Couriers and aides GALLON.
ed here and there-staff officers turned
heads of columns to the right or left.
1t was strange to witness those thou
sands moving with such order and
yet giving out no sound.
"Lookl-see?" whispered my com.
panion as he pointed down the plank
road.
There was a cloud of smoke rolling
up ont Of the pine woods and blctch-
ing the starlit sky like a stain Of blood
It spread and grew until half the
stars of heaven were hidden. Mean
while, the face Of every man in blue
was turned that way. We saw bat
terry after battery. regiment after reg
iment, brigade after brigade, move
down to the scene Of conflict. Tongues
Of fame flashed through the smoke.
clond and lighted up thicket and
field. but there was no sound. The
stiffness of night was almost painful.
"Here are the result-l" whispered
the Confederate, and I looked to the
right and left to behold the dead and
the wounded. could see them in
the fields, under the pines. on the
highway. Some faces show fear and
horrer-o.hers expressed vindiosivs-
uess. Thers were horses lying dead,
others hobblins about and seeming to
appeal for mercy.
1T is horriblel" whispered.
"Ayel but II 10 over"
looked again and the vision had
faded. The highways were barren of
life-the ;elds and forests at peace.
The smoks-clond had disappeared, and
the dead and wounded had been
spirited away.
"And 20 the dead Of the armies
fight their battles o'sr'" ] asked.
"As you have seen" he solsnnly re-
piled. Until the hate aud rancor Of
men 10 no more-until all men are o.
peass-shs spirits Of those who fell ;n
battle cannot rest. They must plAa
campaigns aud sghs their battles as
Of old. The vision you have seen
here is repeated at Aasistsm. Gsttys-
burg. vioksburs. Franklin--oa a hun
dred battisfelds Of America. Let us
20 in."-M. QrAo.