Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-09-01
You'll volunteer, will you, sirr
Yes; sooner than III be logged

II am not sorry Tor that. ouch lei
lows as you can be of no service except
in Africa. Take him back to the guard
house, and let the necessary papers be
made out for him immediately
The latter sentence was addressed
to the carporal of the guard who escort
ed the prisoners, and accordingly the
man who volunteered was marched of,
morosc frown and cont nlemptuous sneer
strongly marked on his countenance.
The colonel now addressed the other
prisoner. 'You are the last man in the
regiment | could have expected to find
in this situation. Imade you corpor-
al, sir, from belief that you were a
deserving man; and you had before you
every hope Of farther promotion; but
you have committed such "a crime that
must, though unwilIingly, permit the
sentence Of the court which tried you,
to take its effect Then turning to The
sergeant major, he ordered him TO cut
off the corporal's stripes from his jack
ct; this was done, and the prisoner then
stripped without the slightest change in
his stern but pentent counteDance.
Every one of the regiment ielt for the
unfortunate eorporaPs situation; for it
was believed that nothing but intoxica-
tlon, and the persuasion Of the other
prisoner who had volunteered, could
have induced him to subject himself to
the punishment he was about to receive,
by committing such breach Of military
law, as that Of which he was convicted
The colonel himself, although apparent
ly rigorous and determined, could not,
by all his efforts, hide his regret that a
good man should be thus punished: the
affected frown, and the loud voice in
command but i'll concealed his real feel
ings: the struggle between the head and
the heart was plainly to be seen; and
had the head had but the smallest loop
hole to have escaped, the heart would
have gained IL victory. But no altcrna-
tive was left; the man had been cor
poral, and, therefore, was the holder OF
a certain degree of trust from his supe-
riors: had he been private only, the
crime might been allowed to pass with
impunty, on account ofhis former good
character; but, as the case stood, the
colonel could not possibly pardon him,
much as he wished to do SO. No Off
Ger was more avcrsc TO nogging in any
instance, than he was; and whenever he
could avert that punishment, consistcn,
with his judgment, which at all times was
regulated by humanity, he would gladly
do it. Flogging was, in his eyes, an
odious punishment, but he found that the
total abolition of it was impossible; he
therefore held the power over the men,
but never used it when it could be avoid
ed.
Ills regiment was composed OF troub-
lesome spirits; and courts-mar.ial r'ere
frequent; 50 we're sentences to the pun
ishment of the lash; but seldom, indeed,
were those pdnishments carried into
executions; for if the colonel could find
no eair pretext in the previous conduct
of the criminal, to remit his sentence,
he would privately request the captain
of his company to intcrcede for him
when about TO be tied up to the triangle;
thus placing the man under stgong
moral obligation to the officer ,iedcr
whose more immediate command he
was; and in general, this proved far
more salutary than the punishment ever
could have done.
It is not hogging that should be a
bolished in the army, but the cruel and
capricious opinions which move the lash.
Humanity and sound judgment arc the
best restrictions upon this species of pun
ishment; and when more frequently
brought into action than they have for
merly been, there will be but few dis
sentent opinions upon military disci-
pline.
The prisoner was now stripped and
ready to be tied, when the colonel asked
him why he did not volunteer for Africa
with the other culprit.
mo, SIR replied the man; "I'vc
been long time in the regiment, and Pll
not give up for three hundred Iashes; not
that | care about going to Africa. |
deserve my punishment, and I'll bear it;
but .'ll not quit the regiment, yet, colo
nell
This sentiment, uttered in a subducd
but manly manner, was applaudcd by IA
smile Of satisfaction from both officers
and men; but most of all by the old col
onel, who took great pains to show the
contrary. His eyes, although shaded by
trown, beamed with pleasure. lie bit
his neither lip, he shook his head-but
all would not do; he could not look dis
pleased, if he had pressed his brows
down to the bridge of his nose; for he
felt naItered that the prisoner thus open
g preferred a hogging to quitting him
and his regiment.
Thc man now presented his hands 10