The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-02-07

80
for bandages. The war is still present,
a vivid reality and yet memory. And
1t Is not strange that from its bloody
happenings have grown some supersti-
tions, some curious Preside tales that
i'll assert with our arrogant workaday
disbelief i'm ghosts and the unusual.
On the road from Thoroughfare gap
along the east side Of the ridge about
three miles toward New Baltimore
there stands great oak, just at the
gate entrance to an old estate. This
is haunted spot, and ne negro for
many miles about would pass by 1t az
night If by any hook or crook he could
avoid 1t. Here in 1863, occurred one
of those minor tragedies that charac-
terize the especial dangers of the
scouts and vedettes of the cavalry arm
In war. A Union trooper had observed
the distant approach along the highway
of a single rider in gray.
Having seen him first. he determined
to make him q prisoner. and with that
purpose uit Ills SOi sc ~ q &&~~%N ~
thIcket and took post behind the great
tree. AS the Confederate approached
the Union man stepped quickly out.
and. covering him with his carDlne,
ordered him to halt and dismount,
prisoner. But the gray trooper was not
TO be so easily taken. He was JEFF
Lewis Of Mosby's rangers. one of the
quickest and most expert pistol shots
In that redoubtable body of fighters.
Instead of surrendering he drew both
his revolvers and fired from the hip In
the fashion Of ''snap shooters The
Union soldier fell dead, not having even
discharged his weapon. 1t was found
that he was a German belonging to
an Illinois regiment.
This incident was only such as very
many that occurred during the war,
and seemed to possess no especial feat
ures TO mark it as different from hum
dreds that happened and were soon
forgotten with the place Of their Oc-
currence. But in this instance there
developed the unusual. From time to
time people asserted that they had
seen a blue clad soldier standing be-
meath the tree. These statements came
not from ignorant negroes and "po'
white trash," but from the best edu-
Gated members of the community. Both
by day and night horses SHE'D from
the neighborhood Of the spot and dis
played the utmost signs Of fear.
These phenomena aroused much dis
cussion among the intelligent. 1t Is
we'll known fact that the odor of hui
man blood will frighten a horse badly,
and that In a clay soil such as that
at the spot il question 1t will remain
for a long time. This might account
for the queer performances Of animals
about 1.-THE oak" for number of
months or even year, but that this
should become permanent Is absurd.
The happenings are recurrent. and as
frequent now as they wer, In the late
eos and '70s. Numerous people have
had the experience Of having their
horse stop and stand trembling with
fright when trying to pass the oak,
and this az all times Of the year.
A horse will shy from a snake and
there are rattlers and copperheads in
that country, but there are no snakes
about In the winter months, and the
truth is that no tangible way has ever
been discovered 20 account for Ii, and
the spot has firmly acquired the repu-
tation of being haunted. The most
matter of fact scoffer at things super
natural cannot prevent a shudder If
on a cold winter night, when the limbs
of the great trees reach out gaunt and
spectral against the sky, his mount
stops and stands shivering. blind to. all
efforts with whip and spur until the
spell passes, which sometimes is not
for minutes.
Only about three miles south from
this spot on the road from Warrenton
| to Marshall is Tripletts hill, in con-
nection with which there is tradi-
! ton that goes to a time even before
the terrible days Of the early COS. 1t
was not long, however. before the out
break of the war that this event oc-
Cured.
| The hill is not steep, but is rather
mild eminence. which the road grad
ually ascends and descends. Near the
highest point, and not far from the
highway, is a very good spring. 1t
was here one night in 80 that an over
seer, one Veazey, who was travelling
with a band of slaves, concluded to-
make camp. Veazey was cruel man,
and his excessively brutal treatment of
his charges had led him to state Of