Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1883 — A Singular Phenomenon. [ARTICLE]

A Singular Phenomenon.

Three or four gentlemen were comfortably seated in front of a hotel in Austin, exchanging reminiscences and untruths regarding their experiences during the war. All of these gentlemen had fought, bled and come very near dying in the Confederate army. Each had something interesting to tell about battles in which he had been engaged. There was one exception. Col. John Randolph Fanning, a Virginian gentleman who had distinguished himself on the field, listened to what the others said, but did not volunteer to impart any of his own experience. “Now it is your time, Colonel,” said Maj. Rangoon of North Carolina. “Can’t you give us something startling? Tell us about the Federal battery you captured at Chancellorsville. ” “Since you insist upon it, gentlemen,” replied Col. Fanning, “I will relate a little incident connected with the capture of that Yankee battery. It struck me as being very singular. The story is about my horse Black Hawk. He was, as some of you know, a jet black—not a white hair on him except a star on his forehead. He was a splendid riding apimal, but he was not precisely a war horse like the animal described by Job. He was more of a lady’s horse than a war steed. When he sniffed the battle from afar, and heard the shouting and the noise of the Captains, he didn’t say ‘Ha! Ha!’ as Job’s charger did. He wasn’t that kind of a horse. ”

“Probably his heart was not in the straggle. He may have been an imported Northern horse with abolition tendencies,” suggested Maj. Rangoon. “No, it wasn’t that,” said the Colonel. “He was naturally a timid animal. This was the first time that I had ridden Black Hawk into battle, and the poor brute trembled all over. I received an order to advance under cover as near as possible to the battery, and then charge.' Just before we made the charge a shell from the battery fell within ten feet of my horse. He reared up, and uttered the peculiar cry of a horse in mortal terror. The poor fellow trembled so that I was in danger of falling off. Fortunately the shell did not explode. A moment later I was leading my regiment in a headlong charge on the battery, with shells exploding over and on every side of us. Only one-third of my regiment survived that fearful charge. After the battery had been captured, I noticed that all of my men looked very strangely at me and my charger. I happened to glance at the animal, and, gentlemen, what I am stating is a solemn fact, to my amazement, instead of being on the back of a black horse, I was riding a white horse. Excessive fright had changed everv hair on the animal from coal black to a snowy white—all except the little star on his forehead, that had turned as black as your hat. I never heard of a similar occurrence, gentlemen. It was very remarkable.” — Texas Siftings.