Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-12-16

in the State of New York. One morning
sew raj prisoners confined in the provost
guard house, were brought out TO hear the
sentence which n court martial had annex.
ed 20 their dclinquencics, read on parade
Their appearance indicated that their lot
had already been sufficiently hard. Some
wore the marks of long confinement, and on
all, the severity of the prison house en-
STAMPED its impression They looked
detected at this public exposure, and anx-
ious to learn their fate. had never seen
the face of any of them before, and only
knew that n single one Of them had been
adiudged TO death. Soon as their names
were called and their sentences were an
nounccd discerncd by his agony and ges.
lures, the miserable man on whom that
sentence was TO faIl-a man in the bloom
of youth, and the lulness of health and
vigor. .
Prompted by feelings Of sympathy, ]
called next morning to sec him in prison.
There chained by the leg TO the beam OF
the guard house, he was reading the Bible
trying to prepare himself as he said for the
fatal hour. ! learned from him the citcum-
stance of his case. He was The father o,
a family-having a wife and three youh.
children, thirty miles distant from the camp.
His crime was dcsertion, of which he had
been three times guilty. His only object in
leaving the camp in the last instance he
declared, was TO visit his wife and children.
But whatever was his intention he was a
dcserter, and as such taken and brought
into The camp--manacled and under n
guard of his fellow soldiers. The time be.
tween the sentence and its execution wns
brief-thc authority in whom alone was
vested the power Of retrieve or pardon,
distant, Thus he had no hope. and only
requested the attendance of a minister of
the gospel, and permission to see his wife
and children. The part of the request was
granted, but whether he was permitted or
not to sec his family, ! do not remember.
Dreading the hour of his execution,
resolved if possible, to avoid being present
at the season. But the commander Of The
post, Col l.. sent me an express order
to attend, that agrecably to the usages
Of the army, ! might in my official capacity
OF surgeon sec The sentence fully executed.
The poor fellow was taken from the
guard house. TO be executed TO the fatal spot.
Before him, was his cofin,-a box of rough
pine boards--bornc on the shoulders oftwo
men. The prisoner stood, with his arms
plnlonod. between two c'ergymcn-a white
cot,oh gown or winding sloct' feachId
to his feet. 1t was trimmed with black.
and had attached to it, over the place Of
the red heart, the black image Of a heart
the mark at which the eXccutioners were
TO aim. On his head was n cap of white.
also trimmed with black. His countenupce
was bIanchCd 10 the hue Of his winding
sheet, and his frame tremblcd with agony.
H. sanIa. p't. h""cstI' ~ s'iIcr
So u "'' II. were u ""''of'
". ~ =" y H"''"uS "I.'hceS--
ia GnaI "us as'Io"g suu'u OF so'n'.fS
,","" "Ne" "o!'"e.1 " '"autu "n"Sne's'
4" ""s III - 'ea' VI ',c ",''e.
pto'eII" nus 'o'"eo' ana win
~ H., ~ ''u ~ w" VOICES on INC par
y ."o uH.C.s.-"9 moved ,ofwatd WIN
d,,,h ,a,nL Iposr. 'CrS," ,"e 'u'' OF o
mnrio% ANY," os Uus.~,j r.ayeu MN
scene was solemn beynnl The mower Of do.
scription; n man in the viror of life rail-,
ing to his gruve-to the trnc of hi. own
death mnrch--clothcd in his burial robes
surrounded--by friends assembled to pcr-
form the last sad office of affection, and to
weep over him in the last sad hour-no.
not by these, but by soldiers with bris!liur
bayonels and loaded muskots, urged BY
stern command, to do violence Of death to
n fellow Soldler:--as be SURVEYS the mul
he beholds no look Of scnslbiliry-,
he hears no plant of gricc--alI--al--is
stern as the iron rIgor of,he law which de-
crees his death. And who made tina,
1t is the work Of hard necessi,y.
and as such is Just. But alas. who crca,cd
that nccessity'-I'he guilty passions--'hc
pride the vain glory--rhc false honor oil
The voice Of that blood will soon
cry from the ground--whom shall it accused
IL VIII Complain not of the sentence Of the
'aw' but OF guilty war, cherished by human
VIII and PRIDE. And whose are that viii
ana pfide' 10 whom shall that widow
ana those orphans look as the authors Of
Their desoIa'lon Whom shall the shirt
of this poor soldier meet at the Judgment,
and charge with his guilt?
Amid rcacc,ions lilo ithaca ~
h'ffA . 80, IN Il WI ~ ~