The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-22
DEATH FoRETOLD In WAR.
RREsENTI1rENT8 BEFORE BATTLE
THAT HAZE COME TRUE.

ana Others That D~idn,t-EHects on Soldiers.
There will DO many hearty handshakes at the
Buffalo ~encampinent OF tho Grand Army OF the
Republic by men who sometimes pressed their
palms together with any but joyous feelings on
the folds OF tho war. Forebodings OF death In
coming battles were common during the war
and wero believed in by soldiers OF NIL ranks. In
one of the Western regiments there was an en-.
listed man who survived the war. yet was
visited by n prosentiment on the eve OF every
battle and babe his officers and friends good.by
in all seriousness. He was IL most excellent sol.
dier and his comrades credited the warning and
pitied the subject, while they admired the cour-
age with which he faced death, as was supposed.
Con. Lewis A. Grant, who served the Harrison
Administration as Assistant Secretary OF War,
and 10 now ono OF the most active Of the veteran
officers. wat the victim OF q realistic presenti-
ment after he had passed unscathed through
many scenes of carnage.
One Of the most noted instances of direct pre-
sentiment Of death In an impending conflict was
that Of Lord Nelson before he set out upon tho
naval expedition which ended SO gloriously for
England and so tragically for himself at Trafal.
gar. The case is among the best authenticated
on record. yet there are so many similar to 1t
and equally trustworthy that II cannot be called
an isolated case. Moreover, there Is a similar
ity In the causes. or. TO keep within bounds, in
oppbTonJ CAUSES Is VIGIL hb III 0UcCUS. 1nor0 arc
good grounds for believing that great events do
sometimes " cast their shadows before" and it
10 natural that the thoughts of a man involved In
thos6events should at least turn to himself and
dwell upon his own personal fate. This 10
seen In another class Of presentiments. When
Grant was maintaining his position at the head
Of o list of winning Generals there came over
him o feeling that he would one day rise to tho
chief amman and end the war. Grant was a
sphinx, and he communicated nothing to his
contemporaries TO show that in this instance tho
wish was father to the thought. 1t is extremely
improbable that he had an ambition 30 far ad-
vanced, but, as q rule. prophetic voices. like
those Of the Macbeth witches. whisper words that
please. while they startle and amaze.
NELSON'S PREsENTrMKNT.
To return to Nelson's case and others Of anal
ogous character. My studies of the subject have
been confined to the experiences of men In the
profession of arms. and I think that this class
offers upon tho very surface q fair explanation
OF the phenomenon of p~resentiment Tho event
which called Nelson from his peaceful retire.
ment to lead once moro tho English feet in bat
tie was no ordinary one. He had gained sweep
ing victories over tho French, and It had been
believed that a long period of peace was in pros.
pect, when suddenly Napoleon aroused England
to declare war. and It was evident from the
DLoUo OF IeellnB at UnaC tl010 tnat the COnnlCL
would DO very determined, and. especially upon
the sea, would be o war to the death. Men Of
action are accustomed to look ahead, to con.
slider probabilities, and even to dream. Nelson.
at that period, with his life socially darkened by
the Lady Hamilton scandal. would have pre-
ferred death to defeat and the loss of his re-
now as the greatest sea captain of his
time. Knowing his own spirit and that Of the
enemy he was to meet. he could but think on
and on until he came to the point where 1t would
be q question of life or death for him, and he
would prefer death to q life clouded with hui
initiation. 1t could almost be said that he not
only felt his fate in advance, but also deliber-
ately planned it in advance. When his ship was
preparing for action that morning at Trafalgar
he appeared upon the deck in tho snowy uni
form and insignia Of his rank. His officers re-
monstrated with him and he answered.: "In
honor I have won them and In honor I wilt die
IN them" Such acts and speeches are not spon-
taneuus. but are tho result Of elaboration and
of fixed determination.
Three specific acts are recorded of tho nature
ordinarily interpreted as showing PRESENT.
ments. First, he arranged the Affairs of his
estate and made q will. to which no added q
codicil tho night before Trafalgar; second,
while in London. on an absence from the fleet
shortly before the battle. he gave directions that
o coffin which was being prepared for him out
OF the mast of the ship L'Orient should be COM
pleted at once. for he would soon need 1t; third,
the incident Of the full uniform and insignia
and the speech on the morning of the battle.
CUsTER's DEATH FoREToLD.
The conduct Of Custer at the council of war,
before tho massacre on tho Little Big Horn,
goes to show how probable events of startling
nature Affect the spirits of individuals closely
Involved. . Custer had no faith In that cam
paign. He believed that he had been u~njustly
treated by his superiors when ordered to 90 out
against the Sioux. He resolved to make q des-
porato fight. and not only indicate himself.
hut. II possible. also bring confusion upon those
responsible for the campaign. Up to that time
Custer had shown himself q man of extreme, not
TO say morbid, reticence. He never unbosomed
himself to his officers. but made his own plans
and oxacted obedience from all about him.
But upon this campaign, when his doomed
command reached tho borders of the ter
titory where the hostiles were known to
ba his self-conhdence fed and he suddenly
fell back for reliance upon somebody else.
Ofioers who were with,him at that time declared
shat he was no longer Custer. His brusque and
aggressive, oven rasping manner and tone dis.
appeared, and he became subdued and concilia-
cory. It oven went further than that. He
showed himself depressed and seemed to want
70 appeal to those about him. When the coun-
oil broke mp. Custer requested all tho officers to
mako to him. then or at any future time, any
suggestions that they thought fit. The unusual
bearing Of their leader made a great impression
upon tho officers. and as they walked away from
the Generals bivouao one OF them exclaimed:
Il bolieve that Custer Is going to be killed. be-
pause I mover heard him talk that way before"
Custer did not in any way, 1t is true, share his
thoughts about himself at that time with his
oompanions. but 1t may BIO inferred from the
conduct OF others in like situations. which has
been faithfully reported, that he was overcome
With z sense OF Impending evil. May 1t not be
through broOding over what he believed to be
the unjust demands of his superiorsi He had.
as II were. been sent into q far country; exiled
20 that he could not plead his cause, a most try.
Gus spirit.
GEN. LYLE EXPECTED DEATH.
The gallant soldierpoet. Gen. Lyle, predicted
his own death at Chickamauga, and the circum.
stances under which he entered tho fight, cir.
cumstances he must have dwclt upon before.
bead. we're OF q nature to cause an anxious
isAder to look ahead and be solicitous OF Tho
future. The army had hann -