Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1874 — A Strange Dream Fulfilled. [ARTICLE]

A Strange Dream Fulfilled.

Rev. L. W. Lewis, in his reminiscences of the war, published in the Texas Christian Advocate, relates the annexed remarkable instance as literally true. The battle referred to was that of Prairie Grove, in Northwest Arkansas, fought Dec. 7,1862: “A curious fulfillment of a dream occurred at the battle under my own eye. A man by the name of Joe Williams had told a dream to many of his fellow-soldiers, some of whom had related it to me months previous to the occurrence which I now relate. 1 He dreamed that we crossed a river, marched over a mountain and camped near a church located in a wood, near which a terrible battle ensued, and in a charge just as we crossed the ravine he was shot in the breast. On the ever-memo-rable 7th of December; 1862, as we moved at a double-quick to take our place in the line of battle, then already hotly engaged, we passed Prairie Grove church, a small frame building belonging to the Cumberland Presbyterians. I was riding in the flank of the command and opposite to Williams, as -we came in view of the house. ‘ That is the church, Colonel, I saw in my dream,’ said he. I made no reply, and never thought of the matter again until in the evening. We had broken the enemy’s line, and were in full pursuit when we came upon a dry ravine in the wood, and Williams said: ‘ Just on the other side Of the hollow I was shot in my dream, and I will stick my hat under my shirt.’ Suiting the action to the word as he ran along he doubled it up and crammed it in his bosom. Scarcely had he adjusted it before a minie-ball knocked him out of line. Jumping up quickly he pulled out his hat, waved it over his head and shouted: ‘l’m all right!’ The ball raised a black spot about the size of a man’s hand just over his heart and dropped into his shoe.”