Begin forwarded message: > Greetings, > This from a local historical newsletter: > Irish Superstitions at Fort Tejon (California, est. 1853), by William > Gorenfeld. > > "Irish troopers, who formed the backbone of Co. A, 1st Dragoons at > Fort Tejon in 1856, were generally recent arrivals from Erin's green > shores. In the old country, these men, mostly of peasant stock, had > been steeped in the lore of the realm of the supernatural. > There was the "Evil Eye", a silent, fixed stare that was believed to > be fatal if cast upon one sitting before a fire while the moon was > full. A person who wished to avoid being falsely accused of casting an > "Evil Eye" would say "God Bless You" when looking at another. > A grudger had the ability to fix an evil curse upon one's horse. The > only known cure...was to burn the grudger's coat under the nose of the > afflicted animal. > The banshee's lonely croon warned of an imminent death in one's > family. A horse with one foreleg and one hind leg stockinged was > considered to bring bad luck to the rider. Riding a dead man's horse > was considered by the Irish to be a bad idea and, indeed proved to be > for Trooper John GARVEN, late of County Tipperary, Ireland. > During the autumn of 1855, Capt. E.A. Townsend visited Fort Tejon in > the company of Bishop Kip. In his journal, Capt. Townsend made the > following entry for Oct. 1855: > 'Before breakfast this morning, the Bishop buried an Irish soldier of > Gardiner's company. He was the victim of superstition. He happened to > be the first man to ride Lieut. Castor's horse after his death, and > being soon taken sick with fever, his wife persuaded him that he > could never recover because he was the first to ride a dead man's > horse. The surgeon says there was no reason why the man should have > died if his mind had not been so depressed.' > In Irish folklore, the last corpse planted in a grave yard was > required to stand guard over the site until the next corpse was > buried. On the chilly evening of Oct. 15, 1855, in the post cemetery > at Fort Tejon, Trooper GARVEN duly reported to relieve Lieut. Castor > from guard duty." > Dan Hogan >