Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-05-13
GH0STLY ARMIES.
Phantom Legions which Visit the Scene
of Great Battles.

VI 0Vcdt o0te'"S'
The story of phantom armies ls an oio
one and has existed in some form III all
ages ard in all climes. There are many
places besides the Afghan mountain
valley where phantom warriors hght
again their battles on the anniversary
of the combat in which they fell. Most
famous of all ghostly battles IS thae
which is fought every year high IN Ine
air above the plains of Chalons on the
anniv ersary of that great hattie ID
which AttiIa and his Huns were de-
feated 1,453 years ago by the Romans
an; their Frankish and Saxon allies.
In that battle the loss of life was
greater than in any other fight record
ed in history. Some authorities place
the number of the dead at 300 900 while
other historians estimate it at 160, ,oOo.
Now on the anniversary of the hattie,
the peasants living on the plains Whlcn
Surround Chalons declare that they
see above them cloudy legions charg-
ing and counter charging-Attlia ana
Aetius struggling once more for the
dominion of the world.
In Rajputana, India, near the town
of Amir, there is plain on which
opens mountain defile. The natives
declare that often on d misty night
there will issue from the mountain pass
body of 400 or 500 warriors, mounted
on Arab steeds and clad in the sacred
green which can be worn by the de-
scendants of the prophet alone.
The troops ride with no sound OF spur
j,ngling or sabre clashing. The feet
of the horses make no sound, and
though they ride hard as if charging in
battle. there is stiffness over the plain
Sometimes for hours at a time the
spectral squadrons will wheel and
charge about and then. spurrlng TO the
entrance of the mountain defile, will
vanish.
The shadowy riders of the night ar
saw the Mussulmans of the RaJputana,
the ghost of Hosein and his followers,
who were slaughtered upon the plain
of Kerbela, as the grandson of Moho-
met was journey ing to Bagdad in re-
Spouse to an invitation to be king OF
Persia. Why Hosein and his warriors
should make their ghostly charges over
the plains of Rajputana, when their
slaughter took place hundreds OF miles
away on the plain of Bagdad, it is dlf-
fcult to explain; but ghosts are some
times cratic.
Another place where phantom war
riors fight in the moonlight, according
to the tales of the peasanty, is the pass
of RoncesvaIles, in the Pyrenees, where
the rear guard of the army OF Charle
mango was overcome by the Moors In
IT'S 1t was there that Roland and
Oliver fought and died with the peers
of France. Now, at night, the Payn1m
host and the Paladins and peers light
again in the dark valley, and the
| m0UnIdlUG6G, uul Ii AlAS 49,
from the defile the winding OF the horn
of Oliphant calling back King Charles
| In 1744 considerable stir was made III
England by the appearance OF phan
tom army on the side OF Southfel
mountain, between Penrith and kes
wick. A number of people saw the
apparation and made affidavit to it, a
small army of hOrsemen suddenly ap
peared moving along the mountain
side. "where mortal horsemen nee
might ride" They were distinct, bu
rather diaphanous beings, and MADE III
sound as they galloped along till the!
, disappeared over the crest of the noun
tain. 1.-The ghosts of warriors slain Il
, some forgotten BATTLE" said the peas
anus, and many more besides; but tn
, scientific men said. "Only a mirage.
!, New York Sun.