Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-02-06
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
What Happened to q Battalion at
West Po mt.

was once struck by lightning, and
vet am alive to tell the tale, says Captain
King in the Philadelphia Press. 1t was
late in MAY, 1865, warm. beautiful,
sunshinv afternoon. and when the drum
beat for battalion drill, in front Of the
old gray barracks at West Point The
long ranks of gray uniforms, with their
gIistening brasses, the white cross belts,
and the Furnished steel of the nile bar
rels that we used in those days, stood
motionlcss rs statue, while our Soldierly
Adjutant, Harry Hall, Of Ohio, marched
out with quick, nervous step, then
rung out the command that brought MS
with a simultaneous clash Of steel to the
'present" to our commander.
The sun was peepng under the 'isoI
Of my shake. | remember, as we faced
westward the first time, but the next
thing | knew, as we were moving brisk
" about from ono position to another
changing front on the flank company,
playing into close column, forming
square or column against cavalry, as
the tactics of the old war days provided,
it seemed to be suddenly growing
darker
The sun was still shining, but dense,
black clouds were gathering overhead
and far up the gorge of the Iiu ison to-
ward Newburg the rain seemed pouring
in torrents. We couldn't see what was
going on overhead, because, being in
ranks. it was our business to keep our
sycs straight to the front, but | couldn't
help noting that once or twice our
Colonel glanced inquiringly aloft as
though estimating whether sudden
shower was about to fall or not Some
of the visitors evidently thought one
was, and began to seek shelter. but we
went right on.
And now, to explain what follows, let
me give YOU leaf from the tactics. Two
adjoining companies constitute division
on battalion drill, and the most compact
formation in which a regiment can DE
massed on given ground is "close column
by division" Then tho -four or five di-
visions arc placed one exactly behind the
other. aud so close together that the
guides on each flank are but SIX yards
apart.
For this was how we were standing
lust about > o'clock on this warm, moist
MAY afternoon We had just formed
"close columns by division Each
Cadet Captain, after aligning his d.vl.
sion, had ordered support arms, and
there stood the battalion of cadets with
20O steel-tppcd glistoning tubes resting
on their left forcarms, and in as compact
"a mass as you could get them, pointing
straight up into a dense black thunder
cloud right overhead.
Il was too much for Jupiter TOnans.
There was crash like 100 twelve
Founders going oil at once, binding,
dazzling CLEAN Of intense blue light, IA
the midst Of lich saw the Colonel 4,
great black horse fall TO hi, knees. ! felt
a sudden jar along my arm. The whole
battalion seemed to culver ana snake.
Two cadets tell Hat on their faces, hall a
dozen staggered on; OF ranks, dropping
their rifles and grabbing THEN left arm,
Just where the hammer Ind rested, ana
comforting their faces with odd express
sions of shock and pain.
Tall Bill Batter, of kentucky, our col
orbearer, reelcd to and fro an instant,
the sllken colors and silvcr-tipped lance
swayilg downward, but ne rallied. raised
them pluckily aloft. and, in another in
slant, except the three or four, too badly
stunned to pick up their guns. and the
two who had boon Knocked hat, every
man was ready in his place, every rifle
at the support except the guides every
eve to the front, and true to its splendid
discipline, there stool the battalion OF
cadets. 1t had been struck by lightning
and never flinched.
Now any one, or any two. Oh three, or
four. out there at that time, would have
had the full force OF the belt and been
knocked dead, but the electric iluid had
been distributed over some 29O points.
YOU see. and thus weakened. Many "a
fellow had a sore left ann for day or
two. and all Of Us, fancy. looked lit
tie ''whitc around the gills' for mo-
ment. and it took considerable coaxln9
to 'bring to- the fellows who were Hat
tened out, but in five minutes the drill
was going on as though at West Point 1t
was an everyday occurrence to be struck
by Lightning,