The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-22

/ good fortune could save MIN, ana the very WORST
that might have, been foreseen had happened.
Tho Austrians had taken the initiative and
H En : %o thS %nSTspsr sRq for Nss Ht1Is nbd li sss T T6S1o i
II. Any ono at all familiar with Napoleon's
mannuyre at tho time, and the position
soldier like Dosaix would be one to feel that
would lie in tho heroic sacrifices of any whom
tho fortunes Of war might place in the breach.
knew that the combat would be terrible. Ac.
cording to .Michelct, n dark prcscntiment fell
upon the spirits of DcsaiS. and he said to his in.
something will happen to me. 1t is a long
time since fought in Europe, and tho bullets
here don't know the any more He had been
in Egypt two years, and previously. although In
Europe. had not been exposed to battle dangers
for u couple OF years.
GEN. LEWIS A. GRANTS PREsENTIMEST
The manner In which a presentimcnt comes to
a soldier In the, position Of Desaix nj MarenRo
may be inferred from the experience OF Lewis
presentiment OF death ut tho Wilderness. where
his brigade was IN the thickest Of the fight. on
feet upon his mind the General says:
u confess that l went Into the attack with
like u %forlorn hope. 1t was vol known that we
were to attach, a greatly superior force and I'M
minent, and that attack must be made. The re.
attack, was held in check until dark and our
but with, tho e"i loss t OF half st'H my us oiiicers;
and one;third OF ny enlisted men, We were
Soon after that an order came stating In sub
stance that the whole army would attack the
experience, and, coming as 1t did Just after such
a fcrrful slaughter and while we were burying
duced a fearful impression on my mind. Sup.
posing that We must repeat the attack OF that
the last OF many men and that was among the
n nmoaeF,a destined ,a t rnnl,o, to fall AHA The an,,d Im mn, SCa
II off or DyarIuula IL In the nNnrninp | ua ya Y,p
another, with directions what to do with each.
my horses. The certainty OF death seemed real
to me. There seemed no reasona BILE doubt OF it,
Grant had served from the beginning OF it's
career. first as Colonel Of the Fifth Regiment
losses in battle up to that time greater than
those Of any other brigade In the Federal army.
,. The fact tf that &, sss ss. Of pressnti%%ens are often
Instances OF presentiment are much more com
come true which, arc reported and made
believed in the army that it frequently
happens that an officer upon learning, that
upon tho eve Of battle viii offer to excuse the
subject from risktng his lfe that day. or IL he
s fhlnk 5p s1sh .S an efr sps wiIl P Sn, b M sSfGisBBte ai orders der,
him out of danger. This, of course, would not
take place except where the subject of the pre-.
Woo " ooAuACt VI .pioNC Gu COuTdkt.
FROM rTrz-JoHN PoRrER's. EXPERIENCE.
presentiment which came under his observation
years attorward with a detail which shows that
as mere accident. Says he:
" 1t was ct Che Siege OF the City Of Mexico. On
which. l was Second Lieutenant, with heavy
g snas had fred al all day at the Gestle of GhaPul-
try. preparatory to its being stormed by our In
faptry the next day. After shutdown the storm
e ouF Bsftss q 70 i tafe tSeiG Fe p]csi,ion srfS for the p nisSsl
morning. Capt. Drum !" II Fist Lieu" Lieut.. B b t%e
Outraged ~ %' our nr'ss friends Sha a ma{'t thei hpG SSll 40 sne conn sn.
E,ades as they marched by us; Al! were conf
friend. Lieut.; CAN'T. He was particularly de-
sH Sn q and' in reply 70 my salutatiop. eX-
'Good.by, Porter, i shall never see you again
"His words were prophetic. Among the very
party was Lieut.. G iurlH~' f earl ssd ynf fa ssiGrm thss
fSt o,h he ~, had !, p IRE He was one of the first
',That night Capt. Drum. Lieut.. Benjamin
capt: Drum vas quite despondeSnt. p snd his se ap:
perienced a premonition of death. Finally, he
"'PoF!er, I wish you would go out for a mo-
tomorrow. and I want to arrange with Benja.
f %irs % snS T I prefer ss @ To BE- sa afSee With ny HiP private af'
benjamin shared Drums premonition, and
a lSo ae espsss d. be toh PiI Rss% II t +. P saftIs t remain; i
cheerful he ;i1I : tone a. possible: Captain. don.t i boz,
think you had better tell us both your Wishes
He was persistent, however. and Ileft the tent
The next morning. and after the taking of
Chapultepec, we moved along the narrow road
gate, named Garita de Belin, in the middle Of
which was the arched aqneduct that supplied
lection from the sweeping direct and siso hpp IIt
artillery and infantry fire of the enemy. On the
way ! was struck by a spent cannon shot and
porarily unfit for duty. Drum at once rushed
to. n H. and picked me S1 up: eKcIaiming:
pen to you: don't be too sure"
Don't fear for me- l answered. I hope you
~"fs Hf he w wa.h s fRY S sertain aos fhas he would be
killed. for he replied 'Good-by. ! shall not see
E ySiH 1 tEa Hiotd agd w he so S1aSSel Ses s1ssod ib on toI hsID
tion that he would be a victim. ,..
when i had remounted and rejoined my battery
found the Garita de Belin in our possession and
our battery pa IN adyance battering the citadel
the gums in charge OF Drum and benjamin.
Drum and Benjamin and First sergeant Sntp BBaid..
win We're MORALLY wounded. and twenty-seven
ii have known personally Of many cases
snreG men on the eye Of battle have expert.
onCcu preIHOnltlOnS OF tnelr death the next day,
and in every instance have their forebodinRs
been realized. l never experienced such a feel
Ing, though every soldier who enters a battle
of DEATH" ~
The situation at the gates of Mexico was also
one TO NIL the mind OF the soldiers with appre-
hension: Only n few days before, in the assault
upon FL Molinos del Rey b 2 picked storming
the companies were shot down In the first 1--we
minutes, and all but a fragment of the gallant
party, persisted. The reserves followed up the
attack and more than 700 men fell. Not only
That, but the slaughter was useless because the
mills turned out not to be a key to the Castle of
chspultepec, as supposed at the time the at
tack was ordered. While the incident did not
dampon the courage OF the officers and men. yet
II did give the impression that bloody work was
In store for them before Chapultepec and the
other barriers could be carried.
SOME OTHER PREsENTIMENTs.
A number Of cases have been brought to my
hotice with full particulars. and I find that all
OF them have about the same setting. Tho at
tack upon Kenesaw Mountain in 1864 was in
me nature Of a most desperate forlorn hope.
Capt. IL G. Rice OF. Company Is. 125th Ohio Reg
lment,, says that when his company took its po-
at his side remarked: