Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-02-21
DREAMS BEFORE BATTLE
Many Soldiers Believed I1 Them, But
Some Did Not.

| "a great many soldiers, SAID Che
doctor ''believed in dreams. | re
member very well the day that Col
Dan McCook, commanding our brigad'
in front of Kenesaw, called the re
gimental commanders to report to hin
in person. When Colonel Fahnestock
of the Eighty.sixth Illinois, had come
up to the tree where Colonel Dan was
sitting he said: I'VE are going te
charge the rebel works in our front.
Addressing Col. Oscar E. Harmon, OF
the One Hundred and Twenty fifth
Illinois, he said: You will command
the first line.' To Colonel Fahnestock
be said: You will lead the second
line, and when you carry the works
shove down the boys on the rebels and
deploy your regiment to the left and
occupy the works
addressing Col. G J. DilwOrth, of
the Elghty-fith Illinois, McCook said !:
You will lead the skirmish line with
your regiment He directed Captain
Snodgrass, of the Twenty-secOnd Indi-
ana, to LEAD the third line, and Colonel
Clancy, of the Fifty second Ohio, to
lead the fourth line, tie lines to follow
each other at intervals of 10 PAGES.
Colonel Fahnestock returned to his re-
giment, called his officers together, gave
them, instructions, ordered the men
to load at will and not to fire gun un-
til we reached the enemy's works. We
were then lying down in the order as
signed, waiting for the signal gun.
while waiting Colonel Fahnestock
went to little cluster of bushes, where
Colonel Harmon and Captain Fellows
were sitting, in front of the One Humid
red and Twenty fifth Illinois. The
three knelt or sat down facing each
other to engage in conversation.
Colonel Fahnestock loosened his 'guer-
rilla whistle and tore up his letters.
Colonel Harmon asked him whether he
thought we would carry the works.
Fahnestock replied he thought not !;
that we had waited too long that we
had too far. to run, but he declared if
we failed to carry the works he would
surrender before the men should re-
turn over the open field across which
we would have to charge.
Colonel Harmon agreed with him
as to surrender, but said he thought
we could carry the works. Colonel
Fahnestock replied that he had been
sick all night that he had had dream.
in which he was in a terrible battle,
but got out safe. Colonel Harmon
said that he had had dream, in which
he was fighting copperheads in the
North that he then became engaged
in big battle, but did no know how
it terminated. Captain Fellows had
dreamed that his left foot had been cut
off with a cannon ball. He brought
his hand down across his left leg to
show where, just as the signal gun was
tired, at $50 A. M.
''All the officers ran to their COM
mands, and the brigade moved for
ward. When we reached the enemy's
main line we encountered a CALLING
fire and an obstruction of chevaux de
frise and abatis wired together and
staked or ancoored in the ground in
front of ditch. We were compelled
to break through these distractions
after we had made a run of nearly
quarter of a mile. Col Dan McCook
fell mortally wounded. Colonel Har-
mon took command of the brigade and
was instantly killed, mimic ball going
through his heart. Captain Fellows,
another one of the dreamers, rushed
forward, shouting, Come on, boys!
Wen take-and fell dead a few feet
from the ditch. Colonel Fahnestock
ordered second charge, but we failed
to carry the works, fell back q PAGES, !,
separated into four lines, threw up
breastworks, and held our position.
"Fahnestock came out as he dream
ed he would. Harmon did not dream
that he was to be killed, and Fellows
did not-dream that he was to be killed,
but both were shot dead. So, after all,
the facts were not greatly III favor of
belief in dreams, but officers and men
of that brigade who knew of the con-
versatiOn between Fahnestock. Har
mon and Fellows just before the charge
was made accepted all that happened
as sustaining a belief in Dreams
"Belief in dreams Or premonitions
had very little to do with the actualiJies
of battle,'' said the major. lone of
the best men in our company at Stone
river dreamed on the night of Decem-
ber 30, 1862, that he would be killed in
battle the next day. He was sick all
that night and took his place in line
the next morning with two blankets
worn shawl fashion about bis should
ers. He shook like a man with the
ague, but he would not leave the ranks,
even when the surgeon peremptorily
ordered him to the rear.
HE told me privately of his dream
and said that he was not going to evade
the issued. He admitted that he was
very sick, but be was going to remain
in the fight, and he was going to meet
his death in the spirit of the warning
that he believed had been given him
in dream. He listened to Genera
Rosecrans' order of battle with kind
ling eyes. He went forward in tht
charge with the blankets Tapping
about him and yelling like an Indian
He came out of the battle without /;
scratch, but was in hospital three O.
| four weeks with fever. He recovered