The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-01

my experience of the evening. Inc man
was an ex-confederate soldier, as l after
wards learned, and a genuine good
hearted and hospitable Virginian OF the
old school. We very soon became ac-
quainted, and, as had eaten my supper,
we sat on the broad, vine-covered porch
in front of the house and smoked cigar
apiece before retiring. While we sat
smoking, / having related my adventure
and expressed desire to visit the spot in
the wood where l had tied my handker-
chief to the tree, he narrated tho follow
ing, which l give in his own words as
nearly as can remember:
~ was born and raised in Virginia, aud
during the late unpleasantness was one OF
Mosby's men. We did n great deal OF
fighting in this vicinity and after we dis
banded settled down on this place, which
l had purchased only a few days before
the first gun of the war was fired. Inc
nIggers about here tell yarn in which L
have never taken much stock. Ihey say
that during the fight in which our men
killed Kearney young officer that was
on his staff was fatally wounded and left
on the field for dead. After the fight was
over and while the dead and wounded
we're being looked after and cared for this
young officer could not be found.
at was first supposed that his body had
been claimed by friends, who arrived
shortly after the fight, and had been
carried away, but this supposition was
afterwards discovered, SO the story runs,
to have been unfounded. The negroes
claim to have seen his ghost on the battle
| field on certain occasions and they insist
that his bones are still in that fell through
which you came, although the field has
1 pt,Y,har of times without
any remains having been discovered, so
far as ever heard.
"No.n said he, in answer to my ques-
ton, ''none of my family have ever seen
the vision you speak of. although on one
occasion, during the summer of '66, boy
that employed on the place, came run
ming up the road, nearly frightened out
of his wits, and said that "a lady's ghost
had followed him up the road, making all
| sorts of gestures. He was a yeak-minded
sort of a chap, however, and none OF US
ever pad any attention to his story. but
the niggers claim that 1t was the spirit OF
his fiance, hauling the place where her
lover died. 1t was known that he was en-
gagged TO q very beautiful and accom-
plished young lady of Massachusetts, ana
that she died soon after hearing OF MS
strange disappearance after the battle oil
Ok Hill, or Chantilly, as you Yankees call
II. The dead body or whereabouts of the
Young officer have never been ascertalned
to this day, although the ground about
here has been often searched by his rela
tives, who are very wealthy. This was
several years ago, however, and his
friends have concluded, as | have heard
that he was buried with some of the union
dead at Arlington"
1t now being very late, we retired fol
the rest of the night. The next morning
we went over to the wood where hat
been led by the lovely appartion, ant
we're not long in finding the place where
my handkerchief was tied to tree. W.
inaururated n search, but for long tim'
, discovered nothing, and were ABOUT t'
, Give M in disgust when Thompson, thu
name of my host of the evening before
discovered in the cd stump an officer
sword. badly rustcd, and also an officer
, belt bearing the initials II. III. l.. w
| went back to the house and procured {
shade and hoe and, returning to the spot,
dug all around the stump and soon un'
earthed a human skeleton with stall
, officers uniform nearly rotted away.
, After putting the remains into box w
sent a telegram to Washington, and tn
= | name of the officer, for his remains the
| proved to be. was soon ascertained fror
/ the rolls in the office of the secretary o
I war. The young officers name wa
Q Robert II. Lane. | went down to AleN
andria. but returned to Thompson's hous
$ a few days thereafter. A brother of tn
1 dead officer, who lived in New York city
y had been notified and had been dow
o there aud taken the remains away. Isa'
d him fortnight after iii Washington an
Q related TO him my strange and uncann
experience of that eventful night. II
|. produced photograph of young lady
q and / recognized in the features m
s strange visitor of July ., 1872. He the
@ told me that the photograph was one h
a brothers finace had had taken not Ion
q prior to his brothers. untimely death o
q the Chantilly field. When she heard {
!. his de 9TH she was broken hearted an
8 lived not long after.
10 THE OLD NEW YEAR.