The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-04-06
A MYSTERY OF THE WAR.
YANKEE SOLDIERS SIIOOT ONE OF
THEIR OWN COMPANIONS.
Leaving His Post and Crossing Over to
the Confederate Lfncs-A Peculiar Let
ter-NVas He IL Sleep Walker


During the many weeks that Early
and Sheridan faced each other along
tho Oppequan l was n high private in a
Confederate infantry regiment. About
two weeks previous to the battle which
drove us beyond Winchester my COM
pany was ordered to the front to do
picket duty along a certain line. Sheri-
dan was even then becoming aggressive,
and his pickcts were crowding us all
along the front.
went on at ten o'clock ut night, and
my orders were very strict. 1t was q
starlight night, and between me and
the Yankee picket was open ground-a.
portion of an open field. A dog couldn't
cross it without being discovered. L
was not to give an alarm unless con-
WINGED that the enemy was preparing
for some move, and | was not to fire my
muskct unless more thar one person
was seen advancing across the field. So.
sure as one musket was discharged the
fire would run up and down both lines
for n mile or SO, and the rcliefs would
be turned out and a hubbub be raised
which could not be quoted for an hour.
1t was a very still night. The whip
porwllls were singing along the Oppe-
iN~h, NHN " SNSlN ouIlC1 vi STuSS
came the notes of katydids and crickcts.
At about eleven o'clock, while I sat for a
moment on n fallen log, looking straight
across the field, Il mar suddenly steppcd
out Of the cover of the woods on the far
side and began advancing toward me.
l caught the shine Of the starlight on
his muskct at once, and Immediately
made up my mind that he was q federal
picket. Indeed, who else could it be?
He was exactly opposite INC, and he add
vanccd at a slow and measured pace,
with his muskct at Il ''carry."
On he anc, straight ut me, never
turning is head nor hcsitating for a
moment, and III five minutes he came to
II halt so near that I could have prodded
him with the bavonct. I was Just
about to address him, demanding his
surrender, when he placed his musket.
against Il tree, folded his arms across his
breast and leaned up against a beech
and stared into the darkness over my
head. For five long minutes he stood
there without making a movement, but
l heard him sigh rs if there was great
trouble in his mind.
was standing in my tracks. too dunn
founded for action, when the picket to
the left of me came creeping up on his
hands n knees, and as he rose up be-
side the log l sat down so VIC could con-
suit.
What on earth can all that nan"
I asked. "Hc is neither q scout nor a
descrtcr."
"Wait and watch him." whispered
my companion.
In n few minutes the federal took a
letter from his breast pocket, removed
it from the envelope and opened the
sheet US if reading it. It was so dark
that one could not have made out the
letters on a circus bill, but he seemed
to read every word of that letter. When
he had finished it he placed the envelope
III his pocket, but the letter fluttcred to
the ground. He sighed heavily, made
a sound as if sobbing, and by and by,
with a groan of anguish which went
straight to our hearts, he picked up his
musket and walked slowly back across.
the open ground.
"What do you thinkg" + asked,
when we had finally lost sight of him.
"He's a sleep walker" replied my
friend.
Ihad made up my mind that this was
the case. The letter was secured to be
peruscd by us when daylight came, and
we saw nothing more Of the man in our
watch.
The epistle was from a far away viii
lage in Northern Ohio, and it rcad:-
* * * God pity us! Both chill
drcn died yesterday! The last words
they uttered were to ask for papa. 1t
seems as if | could never stand up under
this, and what must your feelings bel"
There was more, but we would not
read it. That letter, belonging to an
enemy, was sacred in our eyes.
was there again at the same hour
the next night. and half an hour before
midnight the mar started to the same
spot. He had no musket with him this
time, and his movements showed that
he was wide awake. He came crouch
ing and hiding, rs if to escape observa-
ton, and was half way across the open
when a stream Of fire darted out from
his W side, and the poor fellow sprang
into the air with an awful scream and.
fell dead. He was coming for his let
ter, being guided by some underlined
instinct toward the exact spot, and had
probably been mistaken by some ex-
cited picket for n Confederate creeping
the other way. All next day the body,
lay there in plain view, but at night his
friends removed it. and we heard after
ward from n prisoner that they discov-
cred and lamcntcd their error. Detroit
Eb.2o D.ooo |F.