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Story
July 16, 1889
The Evening World
New York, New York County, New York
What is this article about?
A ghostly apparition of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson on a gray horse with drawn sword appears at the Virginia Military Institute, witnessed by sentinels, cadets, and citizens over two nights, vanishing at a precipice despite challenges.
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Full Text
STONEWALL JACKSON'S GHOST.
A Spectre on Horseback That Rides About With Drawn Sword.
A Washington Letter to Kansas City Globe.
It is said that at the Virginia Military Institute at midnight, as the sentinel was walking his beat, his attention was attracted through the sallyport to the front of the barracks by a slight sound resembling the rustling of leaves. Instantly between the two large forty-six pound field pieces there appeared a soldier dressed in a Confederate uniform and mounted on a large gray horse. His sword was drawn, his horse tightly reined up, and two white plumes floated above his head.
The sentinel, at first almost paralyzed with terror, had gazed upon the object but an instant, when the horse was started through the sallyport into the courtyard at a trot, crossing the sentinel's beat, making no audible sound, although he was passing over a solid brick pavement. The sentinel challenged with a loud voice:
"Who goes there?"
The rider did not heed the challenge, but passed on at the same pace until arriving at an abrupt, dangerous and impassable precipice in the rear of the barracks, he vanished.
The sentinel promptly called a corporal, who informed the lieutenant of the guard and officer of the day. The guard was immediately turned out, and though a close and minute search was instituted, no trace of a horse or rider could be found.
The next night a similar phenomenon was witnessed by a party of cadets and citizens. This time the sentinel was stationed in the centre of the sallyport to await the appearance of the horse and rider.
At the same time as the night before, preceded by the same sound, the horse and rider appeared, and started through the sallyport at a great pace. The sentinel commanded:
"Halt! Who goes there?"
The horse approached nearer and nearer to the sentinel until within two feet of the point of the bayonet and vanished, only to reappear just in the rear of the sentinel.
Then he passed on in the direction he had taken the preceding night, again disappearing at the edge of the precipice. An old veteran present recognized the form of the rider to be none other than that of Gen. Stonewall Jackson.
A Spectre on Horseback That Rides About With Drawn Sword.
A Washington Letter to Kansas City Globe.
It is said that at the Virginia Military Institute at midnight, as the sentinel was walking his beat, his attention was attracted through the sallyport to the front of the barracks by a slight sound resembling the rustling of leaves. Instantly between the two large forty-six pound field pieces there appeared a soldier dressed in a Confederate uniform and mounted on a large gray horse. His sword was drawn, his horse tightly reined up, and two white plumes floated above his head.
The sentinel, at first almost paralyzed with terror, had gazed upon the object but an instant, when the horse was started through the sallyport into the courtyard at a trot, crossing the sentinel's beat, making no audible sound, although he was passing over a solid brick pavement. The sentinel challenged with a loud voice:
"Who goes there?"
The rider did not heed the challenge, but passed on at the same pace until arriving at an abrupt, dangerous and impassable precipice in the rear of the barracks, he vanished.
The sentinel promptly called a corporal, who informed the lieutenant of the guard and officer of the day. The guard was immediately turned out, and though a close and minute search was instituted, no trace of a horse or rider could be found.
The next night a similar phenomenon was witnessed by a party of cadets and citizens. This time the sentinel was stationed in the centre of the sallyport to await the appearance of the horse and rider.
At the same time as the night before, preceded by the same sound, the horse and rider appeared, and started through the sallyport at a great pace. The sentinel commanded:
"Halt! Who goes there?"
The horse approached nearer and nearer to the sentinel until within two feet of the point of the bayonet and vanished, only to reappear just in the rear of the sentinel.
Then he passed on in the direction he had taken the preceding night, again disappearing at the edge of the precipice. An old veteran present recognized the form of the rider to be none other than that of Gen. Stonewall Jackson.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ghost Story
Supernatural
Curiosity
What keywords are associated?
Stonewall Jackson Ghost
Confederate Apparition
Virginia Military Institute
Sentinel Challenge
Horseback Spectre
Precipice Vanishing
Midnight Phenomenon
What entities or persons were involved?
Stonewall Jackson
Sentinel
Where did it happen?
Virginia Military Institute
Story Details
Key Persons
Stonewall Jackson
Sentinel
Location
Virginia Military Institute
Story Details
A spectral Confederate soldier on a gray horse, identified as Gen. Stonewall Jackson, appears at midnight at the VMI barracks, trots silently across pavement ignoring challenges, and vanishes at a rear precipice; phenomenon repeats the next night before witnesses.