The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-11-10

faces staring in the rigors of death
up at the skies, and saw brave men
sorely smitten going to the rear.
But it was all nightmare to me.
We held our line, we fell back into
the woods, we advanced again, cheer
ing; thus the long day passed. Moth
ing touched me-thohgh after the
battle / found bullet-holes in my
blouse. Isuppose l did my part:
really don't know. 1t is all like a
dream.
Atnightfall there was a lull. Theme
my's lines were considerably with
drawn. We talked about fighting
again the next day, and how we should
likely whip them. Our regiment was
near the ground we had fought on. The
orderly of our company called the
roll; more than a dozen did not ans
wer; most of them would never ans
wer again. We took our guns down
from the stacks and laid them under
the rubber blankets beside u.s. to pro-
tect them from the night dew; we
chewed our bareback, talked, and
slept. Soon we were reused up. A
detail for picket was made. Our
captain was officer of the picket; l
and three men were taken from the
company.
A few hours later on the reserve,
the captain tainted away. He was
little slip of a fellow who left college
to recruit this company. He was
weak in body, but with a soul of fire
in it. When he came to said to him
Captain, you're sick; you must go
in and get relieved" He was too
feeble to speak, but pointed to his
shoulder. l examined it, and what
do you think? There was an ugly,
ragged wound, still bleeding, from
mimic ball that was in his blood that
minute, and he said nothing about
it.
Imade him as comfortable as l
could with blankets, and sent in one
of the men to ask for an ambulance
or a stretcher to take him back.
There was no other officer with the
reserve; l was in command. The
hour was past midnight; the piekets
ought to be visited from the reserve
before the field officer came round, to
see that they were on the alert. l
went out on the line.
They were all vigilant. At one
post l stopped; our Prussian Max
was there. We stood talking. when
two horsemen approached from the
direction of our lines. The picket
sharply halted them. One dismount-
ed and came forward leading his
horse. 1t was an orderly; he said
that the General was at hand. Max
called out "Correct-advance!" and
the other horseman rode up.
He stayed there few minutes and
asked many questions. From me he
learned where the reserve lay, what
officer was with it, and why l was On
the line instead of he. He asked
Max if he had seen any signs of the
enemy's picket in our front, and the
soldier pointed out some places where
before dark he had seen suspicious
appearances.
The General looked thoughtfully
and long into the haze that covered
the field. The night was almost
cloudless, but everything below was
murky and dim. Objects could not
be distinguished beyond few rods.
'I'll ride a little way out and see
for myself. "Orderly, go back to
the reserve and wait. Two of us
might attract attention"
The familiar brown horse with a
white face disappeared out at the
front; the orderly wrote back. Max
shook his head.
chats not prudent" was my
remark.
"Big general, big fool" was the
Prussian's blunt comment.
Some hidden influence held me
there for ten minutes. Never since
have been so affected by the I'M
seen. Something babe me stay
there a little.
We heard faint crackle ofmusket-
shots far out to the front. The picket
grasped his gun; both of us looked
and listened intently.
Out from the misty, smoky OBJ
security a horse came madly charging
right upon us. There was but an
instant's glimpse; but my comrade
and l have always agreed perfectly
about it. A brown horse, with a
white face and wild eyes, bride flying
about the fore feet, galloping
straight upon us.
So suddenly the thing came that
we should have been ridden over
before we could stir. Why were we
not? Because, as quickly as it had
come. it vanished into the air, into
the ground, without noise of hoof
beat.
"Goot Colts mercy" cried Max.
"'Tis the doppelganger-the ghost
of the horse!"
I hurried back to the reserve, and
sent in a report to headquarters. A
strong cavalry reconnaissance went
out Immediately. The general
and his horse were found dead mid
way between our pickets and those
Ol uHe elleilly, poun lluulou "ieh cui
let's. There had been brave effort
to reach our line before horse and
rider sank down and expired togeth-
er.
It was in 1862; and for three years
more was marching, fighting and
faring with the boys in blue. How
it is, / know not; but the visions of
those times that oftenest disturb my
sleep are those of the incidents here
related. A shadowy army marches
again and again through my dreams,
as it marched through that forest; l
hear the low stern voice of the Gen
eral riding through the column
"Push ahead, menl-push aheadP'
and out from the fog and hanging
smoke bursts a phantom brown steed
white face, wild eyes, and bride
whipping it's forefeet; I awake with a
cry of terror as it threatens to ride
me down.-James Franklin Pitts in
Chicago Inter-ocean.
/ Wo,nap ghnnId learn tn ssReSt.S