Un correspondant du Spectator de Staunton, datant à Lewisburg, comté de Greenbrier, en Virginie le 15 septembre, écrit à ce journal la description d'un phénomène atmosphèrique remarquable observé dans cette ville. Il fut vu par nos pickets à quelques miles de la ville. La même scène a été décrite dans plusieurs journaux respectables, dont les rédacteurs-en-chef se portent tous garants de la fiabilité de leurs informateurs. Le correspondant indique :
Un phénomène remarquable fut observé à quelques miles à l'ouest de cet endroit, à la maison de Mme Pearcy, le 1er jour de ce mois, vers 15 h, par M. Moses Dwyer, son voisin, qui se trouvait être assis dans son porche à ce moment, tout comme à côté d'autre à ou près de la maison.
Le temps était assez chaud et sec, pas un nuage n'était visible, aucun vent ne rafflait même le feuillage des arbres alentour. All things being propitious, the grand panorama began to move. Just over and through the tops of the trees on the adjacent hills on the South, immense numbers of rolls resembling cotton or smoke, apparently of the size and shape of doors, seemed to be passing rapidly through the air, yet in beautiful order and regularity. The rolls seemed to be tinged on the edge with light green, so as to resemble a border or deep fringe. There were apparently thousands of them, and were, perhaps, an hour in getting by. After these had passed over and out of sight the scene was changed from the air above to the earth beneath, and became more intensely interesting to the spectators who were witnessing the panorama from different stand points. In the deep valley beneath, thousands upon thousands of (apparently) human beings (men) came in view traveling in the same direction of the rolls, marching in good order, some thirty or forty in depth, moving rapidly?"double quick"?and commenced ascending the sides of the alomost insurmountable hills opposite, and had the stoop peculiar to men when they ascend a steep mountain. There seemed to be great variety in the size of the men, some were very large whilst others were quite small. Their arms, legs, and heads could be distinctly seen in motion. They seemed to observe strict military discipline, and there were no stragglers.
There was uniformity of dress, loose white blouses or shirts, with white pants, wore hats, and were without guns, swords, or anything that indicated "men of war." On they came through the valley and over the steep hill crossing the road, and finally passing out of sight, in a direction due north from those who were looking on.
The gentleman who witnessed this is a man with whom you were once acquainted, Mr. Editor, and as truthful a man as we have in this country, and as little hable to be carried away by "fanciful speculations" as any man living. Four others (repectable ladies) and a servant girl witnessed this strange phenomenon. W.
P. S.?On the 14th inst. the same scene, almost identical, was seen by eight or ten of our pickets at Banger's Mill, and by many of the citizens in that neighborhood ; this is about four miles east of Pearcy's. It was about one hour passing.