The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-02-28
My Strange Vision
A Story For Washingtons
Birthday
BY F. A. Mitchell

telling this story that ! make no pre-
tense at an explanation.
In New Jersey there are still stand
ing houses In some of which happened
scenes connected with the Revolution
airy war. Most Of these are now dilapi
dated. OF some only a part remains
while a few are we'll preserved. II
one of these houses l once slept. The
only mark of Its past grandeur was thu
staircase. The minute workmanship q
that day was apparent in 1t. though
in its dIlapidated condition 1t looked
tawdry.
l slept in a room on the second fool
nea the head Of this staircase. The
original roo had been divided into
two small ones. l went to sleep very
Don after going to bed and must have
slept till after midnight. when I was
awakened by a hammering at the front
door below. There was a noisy con
fusion of mems voices without. and
heard above the din. Long live the
king!" Another cried: 1.-THE rebel is
within. Watch every egress!" And
still another shouted: He's gone. you
traitor Tory. You're too late!" Then
there was a shot. and l heard some
q cry, MY God, I'm done for!!
Immediately after the shot came q
fierce onslaught upon the door below
and ! heard it give way.
Scarcely a minute had elapsed while
this was going on before I sprang from
my bed. rushed to the door of my room.
opened 1t and looked out. Lights from
below family illuminated the staircase
Descending it was a woman in her
nightdress. a shawl wrapped about
her shoulders. She was young and
beautiful, When I opened my door she
had turned an angle in the stairs and
faced me. A voice from below cried:
1.-THE captains shot! Give me that
shawl to stanch the blood!"
The woman's face was lighted with
anger, as If suffering some grievous
wrong.
God forbid" she replied. that /
should give my shawl for any such
purpose"
1t was a sickening sight. that which
saw next. ! wish I could forget it.
but | can't. 1t will be with me to my
grave. saw a soldier in a three cor.
nered hat. a red coat and buff knee
breaches run up the stairs and plunge
Z, hayOnet into the woman's breast.
She sank down with n moan. There
were cries of "Shame!" from below.
and l heard shrieks and lamentations
in different parts of the house.
Suddenly found myself in darkness.
| was lying in bed. my heart beating
like q drum. AS | became more con-
scious of where | was ! saw a streak
Of light coming through n shutter from
Il street lamp without. All was still.
What n horrid Observation-Disclosures. !
mea l knew that | had got out of
bed and gone to the door. But
My thoughts went of In all imagi-
nable directions.
In an hour | was asleep again. My
was more like a dream. Yet so real
was it that when | returned to my
ordinary consciousness l wondered If !
had been asleep.
sat by an open window looking out
on large grounds. Persons were group
ed below me, all subdued. speaking In
low tones. There were soldiers among
them dressed In the Continental uni
form. Before the door was a gun car
riage. As in a moving picture, at the
gate at the farther end of an avenue of
trees appeared a commanding figure.
also in Continental uniform. mounted
and followed by several officers. They
rode rapidly toward the house. and !
heard a voice below exclaim:
General Washington has arrived"
Then l heard singing of hymns be-
low. after which ] saw a coffin wrap
ped in the stars and stripes taken out
and laid on the gun carriage. The cor
tege moved away, the general and the
officers being a part of 1t.
l awoke in the morning feeling AS If
l had suffered a great strain during the
night. though it was rather a spiritual
than a physical strain. After breakfast
called the man of the house aside and
told him of my nocturnal experience
He said that he was no interpreter of
dreams. and that was all the informa
ton l got out Of him.
Some time after this visit ! was tell.
ing my visions to a librarian. His in
terest in my story grew intense as !
proceeded. We were In the library at
the time, and when l had concluded he
went to a shelf. took down a book.
opened it at q certain page and handed
the volume to me
read of q certain house In New Jer-
sey where an officer in the Continental
army was wont to visit his young wife.
He was betrayed by Tories. and British
troops sought to capture him. But.
learning Of his danger, he escaped be-
fore they arrived. The scene | had
dreamed-or e | know not which,
had been enacted during the Revolu-
ton in the very house in which ! saw
1t more than a hundred years later.
MY friend the librarian hunted for
an account of the funeral of the young
wife who was killed by q British SOL