Friday, March 08, 2013

Aaron W. Ebright, A Premonition Of Death

Lieutenant Colonel Aaron W. Ebright, 126, Ohio Infantry,, Age 39.  Enlisted September 27, 1862, for 3 years.  Pomoter from Major February 16, 1861; wounded May 12, 1864, in battle of Spottsylvania, Virginia.  Killed September 19, 1864, in battle of Opequan, Virginia.

From a letter by General J. warren Keifer.

Colonel Ebright had a premonition of his death. A few moments before 12 m. he sought me, and coolly told me he would be killed before the battle ended. He insisted upon telling me that he wanted his remains and effects sent to his home in Lancaster, Ohio, and I was asked to write his wife as to some property in the West which he feared she did not know about. He  was impatient when I tried to remove the thought of imminent death from his mind. A few moments later the time for another advance came and the interview with Colonel Ebright closed.

In less than ten minutes, while he was riding near me, he fell dead from his horse, pierced in the breast by a rifle-ball. His apprehension of death was not prompted by fear. He had been through the slaughters of the Wilderness and Cold Harbor, had fought his regiment in the dead-angle of Spottsylvania, and led it at Monocacy. It is needless to say I complied with his request.

Authors note.  To learn more about Colonel Aaron W. Ebright, take this link.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=ebright&GSfn=aaron&GSmn=w&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=47838588&df=all&

1 comment:

Chris Ward, Tucson said...

Thank you, Dennis. Col. Ebright was my great-great grandmother's brother. Our 1972 family history reports he was shot in the chest at Opequon and had travelled to California before the War but the letter you have which describes his premonition is new and fascinating information.