Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-05-17
4 Presentimeut.

\ Presentiment.
In the Autumn Of 90 Gen. Mcclellan
was relieved from active duty i'm the
Army Of the Potomac, aud Gen. Burn
side assumed command. This change
was very unpopular with the boys, who
loved Little Mac and who felt n great
degree Of uncertainty in the ability of
| the new commander. There was wide
spread discomfort in the ranks in conse-
quence of this change. Added to this,
the inyincible strategists at home were
still clamoring for n forward move
ment regardless of time or favorable OPP
| portunity,
In view of these facts. il was deemed
| absolutely necessary that a battle
| should be fought under the new leader
at the earliest poSsib moment. The
| first battle of Fredericksburg was the
result. On the day of that battle our
brigade climbed the heights on the
southeasterly bank of the Raprahan-
mock. opposite fredericksburg, and halt
ed upon the summit near some heavy
! batteries. As we looked down upon the
river with it's slender pontoon bridge,
with the city upon its opposite margin,
and as we raised our eyes TO correspond
! ing heights Just back of the city frown-
!
swarmug with rebel soldiery, painful
and overpowering sense of the impossi-
bic task before us and the deddliness OF
the undertaking in all its horrible mag
nitude. forced itself upon the minds OF
all present.
A sense Of duty, the imminence Of
the great dangers before us, and the
nearness of the conflict. served to close
up the ranks and to keep nearly every
man in his place.
l had been detailed with small squad
10 act as provost general to prevent
falling out and struggling to the rear
During the short halt on the brow Of
the heights, before the march across the
river several of the boys came to the
rear of the column 10 leave with the
chaplain valuableS and messages to their
friends in case anything should happen.
Among the number came Mike, a
large, powerful and courageous Irish
man, great favorite in the regiment,
and man who had always laughed at
danger and had rejoiced at the oppor-
tunity of having "scrlmuage" with
the enemy.
On this occasion he appeared TO be an
entirely different man. He approached
the chaplain with tears in his eyes He
gave him a picture of sister living i'm
Portland, his Catholic Catechism and
other relics and in a choked voice gave
the address of his friends and what he
then declared to be his dying message to
them.
The chaplain endeavored to cheer and
encourage him, but in vain.
chaplain" said he, I'm not afraid
10 fight. I'm not afraid to die: am not
q coward: but there is something here
lslapping his breast) which tells me my
time has come; Chaplain, will YOU
please write my sister kind letter.
She is a Christian Catholic and / love
her dearly Soon the word forward
rang along the line and Mike, with the
tears coursing down his cheeks, grasped
the hand Of the chaplain and requested
the good man TO pray for him. He then
took his place in the ranks. The long
column began to move slowly down 70
the river, soon increasing its speed tc
the double quick, over the pontoou
bridges across the river into the streets
of the city, out on the pl aims and hillside
beyond it amid smoke, shot and she'll
and death wounds and rebel yell. up %
the very frowning Jaws of death on the
heights beyond The terrible charge,
the murderous repulse, repeated again
and again that afternoon; the night can
nonade, the long day following Of Skin.
mish and movement, the succeeding
night and the early morning abandohl
ment and retreat across the river have
been many times told. AS soon as pos.
sibie after the battle the chaplain mtde
earnest inquiries for Mike; but no Mike
was there to answer him.
In the terrible charge he was seen to
fall in the forefront Of battle, and was
borne from the field fatally wounded.
His boisterCas, cheerful voice, good
natured countenance, rich brogue and
bu1y form, Were never again with US.
His was the most marked and startling
case of presentiment of coming death or
disaster that came under my observation
in the army.
Army life and its dangers made many
OF us believe in fate--that the decree OF
the Great Author had fixed the span OF
life for each one. We were sometimes
constrained to believe that a very thin
curtain was stretched between the seen
and the unseen, and that few mortals
were permitted to look beyond the
visible and to receive the absolute as
surance Of the future fate in store for
them and near at hand.
Waterville, Ne. l.. ID. CARVER.
british Army EC.uipments