The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-16
The Battles Of the DEAD.

1t is midnight in the brick farm house
at Chancellorsville--th new building
on the site Of the one partially destroy
ed when Hooker marched his troops
| into the wilderness to get in the rear Of
| / &c at Fredericksburg. La the yard
are the rotting wheels Of gun carriages;
III the south wall are dozen cannon
| balls firmly imbedded; half mile be-
low is the stone marking the spot
where Stonewall Jackson received his
mortal wound; here is the same dark
forest which sheltered friend and foe.
ARE you a4sieep?"
mo-
The last stroke Of IL had scarcely died
away When the farmer opened my bed
room 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 and passed out into
the yard with him ! noticed that he
had on a Confederate uniform, dusty
and worn | looked at my own gar
ments; they were blue. He pointed his
finger down the road, and saw through
the mist OF the summer night great
army approaching. There was cavalry
infantry and artiuery--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 | hear no noise-not the foot
step of horse nor the clank Of sa-
Der" | protested.
.Hushl lis battle of the deadl
The spirits of the thousands who fell
here have come to fight the battle once
again."
| looked at HIM more closely and /
saw the light OF battle in his eyes. His
form grew erect, MS feet seemed i'm
patient and he scented the air as if
eager TO join in the fray.
Now the highways and pyways-the
cleared Geids-the open woods-the
lonely thiekets were full of blue uni
forms. CourIers and aides galIoped
here and tIlere-staf officers turned
heads Of columns to the right or left,
1t was SO strange TO witness those thou
sands moving with such order and yet
giving out 10 sound.
'Look-see!n whispered my COM
panion as he pointed down the plank
road.
There was cloud of smoke rolling
up out OF the pine woods and blotching
the star-lit sky like a stain of blood. It
spread aud grew until half the stars OF
heaven We're hidden. Meanwhile, the
iaceof every man in blue was turned
That way. We saw battery after bat
terry, regiment after regiment, brigade
after brigade, move down to the scene
OF conflict. Tongues of fame flashed
through the snoke-cloud and lighted
up baleket aud field, but there was nc
sound. The stiffness OF night was al
most painful.
Here are tha results whispered the
Confederate. and looked to the right
aud left TO behold the dead and wound
ed. lcould see them III the fields, IN
der tae pines, on the highway. Some
faces show fear and ror-others ex-
pressed vindictiveness. There were
horses lying dead others hobbling
about and seeming to appeal for mercy.
III is horrible whispered.
,A5yel but il is over.
looked again and The vision had
faded, The highways were barren of
slfe-sile 9elds and forests at peace. /
The saoke-cloud had disappeared. and /
the dead and wounded mad been spirit
ed away /