The San Francisco call., 1908-10-11
The San Francisco Sunday Call
THE PHANTOM WAR HORSE
OF THE CYPRESS SWAMP 4
The San Francisco

any mysterious thing to be seen a.
night along the road near his farm
His din. old eyes opened wide with
questioning wonder. He tottered closer
grasped the sleeve OF my coat and
looked strangely into my face.
Have We seen that white horse. my
lad?" queried he. When I replied that
I had seen the mysterious horse the old
man grew visibly excited. He asked
questions faster than we could reply,
and at the same time carried on
quaint narrative OF his own experience
and that of others who had. years ago,
seen the equine ghost of the swamp
After making himself sure that we
believed in the seriousness OF his story
this old French Acadian gave US in de-
tail the origin OF the riderless horse,
which, he claimed. had not. up to the
time OF our recent experience. been
seen for 20 years.
The substance of his story. though
lacking in romance. was both tragic and
dramatic
At a time during the civil war pre-
vious to the occupation of the city OF
Baton Rouge by federal troops a de-
tachment of confederate cavalry had
been posted about 10 miles below the
city. having in charge a considerable
quantity of stores, besides a large num-
ber of horses. This secluded place
on the border OF a dense swamp offered
an excellent strategic position from the
invading northern army. which was
then approaching Louisianas capital.
In command Of this post was a brill
liant young officer. who had by his
courage and personal sacrifices en-
deared himself to his subordinates.
Where the daring of one man alone
was necessary TO carry out a mission
that was fraught with danger he chose
to be that man himself
AS bearer OF his own reports to
his superiors. and messenger between
his post and general headquarters. one
warm night in mid-August this officer
had his trusted servant saddle his IA
vorite horse and. bidding his COM
panions adieu. cantered away up the
road and was soon lost in the shadowf
of the heavy foliage of the cypreA
timber.
The rider never returned; neither did
his steed return to the camp. Fearing
that disaster had overtaken him, scouts
were sent out before the break of day
to search the road leading TO Baton
Rouge. At dawn the scouts came upon
the bodies of both rider and horse
lying in deep rsvine where the road
crosses a dense growth of wild cane.
A few scattered silver coins and con-
federate bills told the story of murder
and robbery.
The trusted servant. now proven to
have been a treacherous wretch. was
missing from the post. He had fol-
lowed in the dark his unsuspecting
young master. selected the canebrake
for his place of ambush, and when the
soldier rode into the ravine on his
return 10 camp the faithless brute
slew him and his horse.
Hounds were D1acad 1IDOn the trail Of
the fugitive and he was run down and
caught just as he was preparing to
board skiff to ferry him to the oppo-
site side of the Mississippi. The off,
GERS watch. gloves and other personal
belongings were found in the crimi-
nails possession, proving unquestionably
his admitted guilt. The murderer was
bound and carried TO an old sugar mill.
there hanged to the rafters and riddled
by musket balls.
Concluding the story, the old Acadian
told how the spirit of the riderless
horse had for years afterward haunted
the hillsides and cypress swamps.
hunting through the lonely night vigils
the soul Of it's lost master.
At last. leaving the old man standing
beside the road. basking In the after
noon sun, we rode away. carrying wXh
lures as well as belief in the phan-
spirit of it's human friend. sNow. after
chosen the companionship of one of its
kind. to gallop nightly between the
ravine and the breastworks at camp.