The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-08-24
The Devils Camp Fire
By CHARLES L GATES

day and now given for what il is, leav.
ing the reader to judge for himself and
solve the problem of the apparition.
When the civil war broke out and
President Lincoln Issued his call for
rs, 900 volunteers for three months,
there enlisted in the service one James
King, a resident Of the mountainous
region bordering on the beautiful Ju-
niata valley in Pennsylvania. King
was a common laborer, but had receiv
ed a fair common school education and
was credited with being unusually
bright in intellect. During his term of
three months service he made a good
soldier and at the expiration of term
re enlisted in the til Pennsylvania
volunteers for three years. OF his
bravery and gallantry on more than
one critical occasion his comrades have
repeatedly borne testimony; but it is
not Of these I write, but to recount an
incident which happened in the cam
paign Of 1868 in the fertile Shenandoah
valley in the Old Dominion, which in
cid5nt had much to DO with ell the after
life Of Mr. King, and which to this day
remains unsolved.
The Union army was stationed in
the neighborhood of Winchester, said
Mr.. King, "while General Early was
yet far down the valley. In order to
ascertain just where the C~onfederates
were and their strength az near as pos
sible, a scouting party was sent out by
General Sheridan. The party, o course,
was to make its way down the valley as
quietly as possible so as not to give
warning to the enemy of the project.
"As it happened, 1 was detailed as
one Of the party. We started late one
afternoon and rode hard. As we passed
along there was time to note, before
darkness fell about US, the scene Of
utter desertion presented Everywhere.
As yet the ravages Of wal had not des-
olated the valley, but the approach Of
the two armies in that locality had
frightened the residents, mostly old
planters, and the large and thrifty
looking plantations were deserted al
most to a man, save for here and there
a stray old darkey who obstinately pre-
ferred to remain behind, even if he did
fall into the hands of the terrible
'Yanks.' Naturally, in such hurried
departure as many had been obliged
to make, there was little time to take
anything OF much bulk along, and the
owners confined their baggage to solely
the most valuable Of their possessions;
and in the days we spent In that valley
it was more than once limited that much
of value had been buried somewhere
out of sight.
Proceeding at a smart canter and
as cautiously Rs possible down the val,
ley, we arrived at Staunton about IL
o'clock at night. Here we were in
formed by an old colored man that it
was reported General Early was en-
camped but a short distance south of
Goshen, about ten miles distant. Our
party numbered but twenty men, and
after leaving Staunton to the rear our
captain gave orders to spread out go as
TO the entire valley and thus pre-
vent the possibility of running inside
the enemies pickets or falling into an
Rmbuscade.
"IU so happened that I was the end
man ON the eastern slope of the valley.
We had proceeded perhaps three miles
when I passed a fine old mansion, and
in the starlight I could see the doors
standing slightly sjaF, having doubtless
been left thus in the hurried departure
Of the owner. Everything around the
place betokened complete desertion.
Scarcely had I left the house in my
rear when something broke on my Wis
ion which induced me to bring my
horse to his launches with the sudden
ness of the stop. At the very edge Of
a small grove, perhaps a third of q
mile in front, cleaned a bright camp
fire. From where I was I could see
the fire distinctly, but could not make
out how many, or if any, campers were
there. Dismounting and leading my
horse az quietly as I could / managed
to reach a better place OF vantage,
whereupon I was more surprised than
at first. The fire, which was then ap
parently but a bed of red hot Goals, was
In the center of a triangle formed by
three large trees. Not a human being
was in sight, but close alongside the
hot embers was curled up a large, black,
curlyhaired dog. The animal evidently
had not heard my approach, as he ap
peared fast asleep. Making my way