In the Company of Deja Vu; or, Who Saw This Coming?

Reading the following narrative from Company Aytch, I couldn't shake the eerie feeling
that I'd watched this scene played out in person.  After thinking about it off and on for
a few hours, I dug out my DVD copy of "Gods and Generals", the Civil War film of a
few years ago that is unmatched for apparent technical accuracy, scenic and
costume beauty, dialogue and soaring (and realistic) battle scenes.  And there, in
scene 46, I found this narrative acted out, with only the names taken out (they would
have been extraneous information in the film).  When I saw the film a while back I had
assumed the scene was a composite put together by a writer to show in one scene
the phenomenon of the soldier who senses his own death, the poetic charm of the
young and uneducated -- but earnest -- Southern soldier, the military man's penchant
for carrying tokens and talismans into battle, and the tendency of a military campaign
to reduce life to its bare essentials -- blanket, clothing, rations, rifle and cartridge box.
Little did I suspect that Private Watkins of Company H should have received a writing
credit.  Of course, by his own admission, he was just writing "as I saw things then,
and remember them now."

PRESENTIMENT, OR THE WING OF THE ANGEL OF DEATH.  Presentiment is
always a mystery. The soldier may at one moment be in good spirits, laughing and
talking. The wing of the death angel touches him. He knows that his time has come.
It is but a question of time with him then. He knows that his days are numbered. I
cannot explain it. God has numbered the hairs of our heads, and not a sparrow falls
without His knowledge. How much more valuable are we than many sparrows.  We
had stopped at Lee & Gordon's mill, and gone into camp for the night. Three days
rations were being issued.  When Bob Stout was given his rations he refused to take
them. His face wore a serious, woe-begone expression.  He was asked if he was sick,
and said "No," but added, "Boys, my days are numbered, my time has come.  In three
days from to-day, I will be lying right yonder on that hillside a corpse.  Ah, you may
laugh; my time has come. I ve got a twenty dollar gold piece in my pocket that I ve
carried through the war, and a silver watch that my father sent me through the lines.
Please take them off when I am dead, and give them to Captain Irvine, to give to my
father when he gets back home. Here are my clothing and blanket that any one who
wishes them may have. My rations I do not wish at all. My gun and cartridge-box I
expect to die with."  

The next morning the assembly sounded about two o clock.  We commenced our
march in the darkness, and marched twenty- five miles to a little town by the name
of Lafayette, to the relief of General Pillow, whose command had been attacked at
that place. After accomplishing this, we marched back by another road to
Chickamauga. We camped on the banks of Chickamauga on Friday night, and
Saturday morning we commenced to cross over. About twelve o clock we had crossed.
No sooner had we crossed than an order came to double quick.  General Forrest's
cavalry had opened the battle. Even then the spent balls were falling amongst us with
that peculiar thud so familiar to your old soldier.  Double quick!  There seemed to be
no rest for us. Forrest is needing reinforcements.  Double quick, close up in the rear!
siz, siz, double quick, boom, hurry up, bang, bang, a rattle de bang, bang, siz, boom,
boom, boom, hurry up, double quick, boom, bang, halt, front, right dress, boom, boom,
and three sol diers are killed and twenty wounded.  Billy Webster's arm was torn out by
the roots and he killed, and a fragment of shell buried itself in Jim McEwin s side, also
killing Mr. Fain King, a conscript from Mount Pleasant.  Forward, guide center, march,
charge bayonets, fire at will, commence firing. . . .  We debouched through the woods,
firing as we marched, the Yankee line about two hundred yards off.  Bang, bang, siz,
siz. It was a sort of running fire.  We kept up a constant fire as we advanced.  In ten
minutes we were face to face with the foe.  It was but a question as to who could load
and shoot the fastest. The army was not up. Bragg was not ready for a general battle.
The big battle was fought the next day, Sunday.  We held our position for two hours
and ten minutes in the midst of a deadly and galling fire, being enfiladed and almost
surrounded, when General Forrest galloped up and said, "Colonel Field, look out, you
are almost surrounded; you had better fall back." The order was given to retreat. I ran
through a solid line of blue coats.  As I fell back, they were upon the right of us, they
were upon the left of us, they were in front of us, they were in the rear of us.  It was a
perfect hornets 7 nest. The balls whistled around our ears like the escape valves of ten
thousand engines.  The woods seemed to be blazing ; everywhere, at every jump,
would rise a lurking foe.  But to get up and dust was all we could do. I was running
along by the side of Bob Stout. General Preston Smith stopped me and asked if our
brigade was falling back. I told him it was.  He asked me the second time if it was
Maney's brigade that was falling back. I told him it was. I heard him call out, "Attention,
forward!"  One solid sheet of leaden hail was falling around me. I heard General Preston
Smith's brigade open. It seemed to be platoons of artillery. The earth jarred and trembled
like an earthquake. Deadly missiles were flying in every direction. It was the very
incarnation of death itself. I could almost hear the shriek of the death angel passing
over the scene.   General Smith was killed in ten minutes after I saw him. Bob Stout
and myself stopped.  Said I, "Bob, you wern't killed, as you expected." He did not reply,
for at that very moment a solid shot from the Federal guns struck him between the waist 
and the hip, tearing off one leg and scattering his bowels all over the ground. I heard him
shriek out, "O, O, God !" His spirit had flown before his body struck the ground.
Farewell, friend; we will meet over yonder.  

--from Chapter VIII