Cañon City record., 1904-01-21
On the Brink.

I have told OF my experience on that
battle field n hundred times, and never
yet have found one listener but be-
lievcd II WAS the creation of an over
strained brain. |, the only one fitted
to pass Judgment upon what I alone
was cosnizant OF. have no opinion TO
offer. One thing know-we. living
in this age OF rationaiism, have ban
ished all save the material Foolsl
We see stars in the heavens countless
millions of miles away because our
eyes are adapted to see them. How
easy for our Creator to have given us
another lens with which to discern
spirits near at hand, And may not
mans eye, under certain strained con-
dltions, be so changed as to form a
spiritual imagef
From carly morning till afternoon
the Confederate General Albert Sidney
Johnston had flung one battle wave
after another upon the Union army
under Grant. He had said at sunrise.
Before 1t sets we shall water our
horses In the Tennessee" Before that
setting he and thousands OF his men
had passed from their material bodies.
The first day of the battle OF Shiloh
had passed. leaving no sound save an
occasional boom, here and there a rifle
shot, but above all the cries of the
wounded.
l had fought In the hornets nest"
and there had been severely wound
ed, lying where | fell. among a heap
of slain. 1t was early in April. and
in Tennessee April is what June Is in
the northern states. I looked up and
saw the leaves OF tree lazily Hutter-
cause of the peaceful contrast with the
hell raging within me. Oh. that thirst.
How 1t was driving me madl Then
for n time / lost consciousness.
When l came to myself IL must have
been after midnight. I think 80 be.
cause the wounded. at least those near
me, had been removed, and there was
no living thing near me. Doubtless !
had been left for dead. Was | not In
the first stage OF death, yet not destined
for the last stagef had no feeling of
pain. | lay thinking OF the events OF
the past day. Suddenly heard
bugle call. 1t was "the assembly" But
instead OF having the rasping ring OF
metal II was like n seraph's voice.
started up. How light I was!
Nothing WIS an effort Looking
around, saw over each body Its coun-
terpart rising and hurrying away.
stood on my feet, and. looking down,
there lay my own corpse. Turning, I
saw men forming In the ranks of war.
called to an officer who passed me
and asked him:
what does this all meanr'
''They are comingr'
"whor
''The Confederate dead"
''whatl Do the dead fight on7-
Yes; we are simply what we left OF
being yesterday. We shall now de
velop differently. more rapidly and on
4 much broader scale. But for the
present-come, we must join"
We hurried forward to where this
singular army was forming. and. pass-
ing the flank. l stood for a moment
looking down the line. In the fnces of
the men was all the war passion OF liv-
ing beings, but none Of the fatigue.
none Of the suffering. The forms were
like a night mist. and I noticed that
they not only fickered with an un-
steady motion. but the line seemed
like flag through which a breeze Ia
passing, imparting undulations.
By this time there was line Of bat
tie formed composed of regiments,
whose meagcr numbers were indicated
by the nearness Of the standards.
heard a chcer-it sounded like dis
tant whistling Of wind-and a man
rode by In n generals uniform.
HE was the ranking sacrifice yester-
day" said a man at my elbow. but he
II no match for the Confederate gener-
al In chief"
Our leader waved bis sword above
his bead, beckoning us' to follow him.
There was neither sound Of firing nor
tramp Of men. Often since. whom look
ing at the great panoramas sf battle