Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-12-25
soME surxnsIIflaAA.


sons sUrxRsTIFaoAs.
As to whether the Confederats soldier
was any more superstisioas tnan she
Federal, ! neither admiI nor deny; but
think the same supeFstitioBs In regard
10 bottles probably prevailed 10 an
equal extent on both sides. We may
laugh AZ them nov, but We onoe &C.
oeptsd them and pinned our faith 10
them.
The irst instance 10 come under my
observation was a. Gaines's Mill Iwas
then serving with an Alabama regiment,
and on ths morning of she day on
which We were making our coffee &c the
early camp fire heard sort Of groan
from q comFads. and IS turned 10 look
az him / noticed that be was staring
into bis coffee pot with something hko
terror. while his face was deashly pale.
s. WHAT is it2" asked.
:" shall be killed today" he groaned
out.
Fudgei We don't know that even q
single musket will be fEed."
=" dreamed last night" be whispered,
that | looked dowa upon sheet OF
water whose surface was covered with
bubbles, and amidst them | saw my
own dead fSce. shall be shot before
mig -"
/ ridiculed the idea and bsoaght up
others 20 assist me- bat the only reply
TO our Faillery was q sad shake Of she
head. He was q believer IN dreams,
aRd be certainly felt that his last day
had come. Instead Of eating his break
fast be scEibOled Oh q letter 20 his
sDsther and intEusted Ii 10 a eomFade.
la little time We g0t the order to
march, and bef1re no1n my regiment
was thrown forward 10 uncover q poE-
tion Of the Federal line. Tie hrst
missile sent at ns vas & solid shot from
= ield piece, and iI struck the young
soldier IN the chest and cut him fairly
N two without injurinR anothsr man.
Not another man vas even wounded for
the next ten minutes.
The sight before Burnside crossed az
FFedericksbarg g second lieutenant IN
Virginia reeimsnt received, With hun
dreds II Others, sOrse mail from the
regimentAi bag. carried the pack of
twenty or thirty letters over 20 the
officers quarters aud handed ID TO this
lieutenant. The top letter was for him,
Al.d on one end Of the envelope was q
red stain. It looked like blood, bat
was probably ink. he no sooner saw IL
than be became greatly Affected, and
said;
~ shall be the tirst officer in the reei-
ment killed tomorrow."
/ heard q dozen ofioeFa Fidiculing
him, bat be became silent and serioas,
and finally walked away by himself.
We we're down on the right, where the
irsi Federal attack was made. Oar
regiment was using q long and deep
land furrow ae q ride pit, and the ad-
vancing iins Of bloc mad juss come
within range when . bullet struck the
lleatenant in the head and killed him
instantly. IL came from the front and
waa probably from some 50 haFpshOoter,
but Il was afterward agreed that the
officer killed was perhaps the least ex.
posed Of any.
there vas q superstition 10 my rsei-
msnt that anyone who gent into battle
with the fsot Of q RABBIT tied around
bis neck vas safe. THIS was AL right,
aud Rabbits feet were at high premium
fer two or three weeks. Ny brigade
vas then pushed ahead on q reconnois.
sanoe, bumped up against tbs fanks,
and we not only COS severely thrashed,
bat we lost good maay men. Out OF
the seventy men IN my company, 1 pre-
sume that thirty had the talismaa. II
% happened tbs, tne three killed be-
lonQed 90 this siueky" set, and next
day rabbits feet TOOK . decided fall 10
price.
was for q tune bFigadisr's orderly.
His superstition 9as thai be would b
safe from bullets as long as be rods 9
chestnut hoFss. In the hFst battle into
which followed him his chestnut va
snot, and Of course I hnstied 20 bring
him % another. Mine vas . coal black
and the only Ons whioh ooald get fol
him vas roam. He didn't seem 20 no
Toe the didsFencs until the acti0n va
over. snd then l cot q terrible rating
II she second battle be bad q ehestont
Ard even before 0us line came undeI
6re = bullet sripplsd the horse and sn.
other htt my auperstisious general IA
the right thigh and left him 10 limt
through life 90 q short leg.
I personally kneg other offssrs Whc
felt safe on r0ans. bays. blacks. and
even whites, bnt they sooner or later
discovered tkat they had pinned theil
faith 20 q suls which had exoepEi0ns
I remember that jast before GRAFT at
tasked Lee IN the Wilderness, and gniis
I vas 81 brigade headquarters, ben, oI
which there w8s large dook about To-
yard. scFatcssd up q steel bnstOn. A
sergeant of cavalry dism0uBted aad -
cnTsd is, and when ] asksd tim wkal
use be could put Il 70, be replied:
giil drop it into TIE ear Of uJ
Coionel's horse iast before ihe nexi
battle and no bafm uiis oome 10 eithei
/ 0f fbem.S
$ Bus vhas fetish can there be in Z
steel buttonf'
~Oh. il isn't % unuch Ia The battoE
a. 10 Tee hsn scratching IL ap bsfoEs M
eyeM"
Bat why not Try It Ia yosr owr
horses ear. and 20 take care Of y0Hr
ssiffs
@To be lucky il mast Be given 70 some
body elsa
/ Iaazhed Al hin. and be got - mad
THAI we nearly oams 10 biows. ! mel
hsn > week later. having . sabeF eut of
the bead, and Aaksd him bow tie fetal
wsfksd.
MaA have bssn . crowing hez
whlsh aafsiehed Is up.7 - Feplied
= Tia Coioaas and tWcuty % Cur meE
wsss kilisd TIE dag after | aaw you"