outh side to assault Middleton's Ridge, the point of it sloping
down near to the river, on which rested the rebel right flank. There
were but few pontoons to be obtained, and here the genius of man came
well into play. Rafts and boats of a rough character were at once
improvised, and by the morning of the 24th of November Sherwood's
command was once more on the south side of the river, with men, horses
and artillery, ready for the assault. He was moving in a drizzling rain,
and as the clouds hung low his movement was pretty well covered. He
pushed forward with great rapidity and seized the smaller hills near the
river, driving the enemy therefrom, and at once fortified them securely.

"The rebels now seeing this advantage made an ineffectual assault to
dislodge him. He had possession of two hills, with a depression in his
front between him and the main ridge, it being his objective point.
The mist and heaviness of the day prevented the enemy on Looking-Glass
Mountain from seeing or understanding the movement of Sherwood on the
right. Night closed in, and as the clouds cleared away, the light of the
camp fires revealed the position of both armies. Indeed, the night was
beautiful. The lights on the north side were made by those guarding the
camp of Sherwood, left in his movement, across the river. These lights
of the camp fires of both armies now formed a complete circuit, making
a grand picture. The stillness of the night was a warning to all that in
the morning work was to be done.

"About the hour of ten Gen. Silent was out looking at the lights, and in
order to form some opinion of the condition of the weather during the
next day, he strolled along the river bank alone. Stopping at no great
distance from one of the sentinels, he sat down upon a stone under a
large tree, the shadows of which obscured him from view.

[Illustration: A Spector appears to the General 238]

"While sitting absorbed in thought as to what the future would be to the
army then preparing for a desperate battle, a strange form seemed to
appear before him. He was at first startled, and then felt as though
he had dreamed, and was thereby deceiving himself. The object was
apparently a woman dressed in a long flowing robe of pure white. The
features were regularly formed; she had large blue eyes, long, auburn
hair, and a light shone about her which made every feature plain and
visible to him. This strange apparition did not speak, but pointed to
Lo