The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1854-12-06
.1.R.AATENNA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER g. 1854.

fellows rung out their successive responses,
their answers, each rising more and more
distantly, until they seemed to die away on
! the farther side. l-- Il Ii#
The prisoner startled and trembled slight
ly, while he stood more. erect and proudly,
and his eye flashed with anxiety and hope
Harrison only observed his nervous start.
."By my right hand," observed that worthy,
with an attempt to langh, "the rebels nerves
began to tingle little. A few more such
doleful slaves as that, and he will become
so weak, we will have to carry him bodily to
the gallows. MnsicI music at once, before
his legs fail him altogether p,
Two drummers and a ffer took their place
before the prisoner,l and struck up the
Rogue's march. A few score Of ruffialy
men with muskets and bayonets fell in be-
hind him and partly pushing their prisoner
along, the professions with Harrison at their
head, amounted on his iron grey charger, took
their way to the spot selected for execution.
.Theu ensued Such scene as we freely
confess we are unable to depict. Some fC-
! teen or twenty individuals mostly negroes,
ran along on each side of the procession
18th lighted torches, and more than two
thirds of those who, were assembled at the
encampment, having been previously inform
ed of what owasiabuuti to take place, at the
first tap Of the signal drum hurried away
from every quarter of the field, to take part
in the procession. The old field was alive
with some three hundred individuals, eager
ly hurrying along, jostlng, cursing and
pushing each other in their eagerness to get
position near the prisoner. With yelIs
and fearful oaths intermingled with cruel
jests and heartless laughter, the multitude
rushed along to the scene of sacrifice.
The spot chosen for the execution, was
about two hundred yards to the northeast Of
the colonel's murque in the open field. Har-
rison had ordered that he should be hung
upon a magnificent oak, that stood nearly
two hundred yards distant from the margin
of the swamp. A rope had already been
thrown over one of its branches, and the
moose hung to within a few of the ground,
ready to be fastened around the neck of the
prisoner, while the other end rested upon
the ground at the base Of the tree, near
which stood savage looking man to whom
had been allotted the task of drawing him
up. 81. ... .-.-.a fla
Oh, how lovely and beautiful seemed the
glorious night to the victim led to slaughter.
Brightly above him shone the uncouded
moon, shedding halo of light upon the
beautiful world beneath where nature held
her Sabbath. Never had earth seemed more
dear or the smile of creation more lovely.
The prisoner seemed not to hear or TO
heed the derdng voices that Knocked him
in the fearful hour, when the rage of man
should have been still, and left him to COM
mune with his Maker, Yet his thoughts
seemed not to grasp at eternity. His bright
and watchful eye told that he still clung to
his hope and fondness for life.
He gazed cody and contemptuously up
on Harrison, as that unfeeling wretch turn
ed to harangue the noisy and brawling
crowd. He offered no resistance when the
callous executloner fastened the fatal moose
around his neck, for his pinioned arms de-
prived him of the power to struggle; he
turned in his tracks, andnfollowed with his
eve the movements of that i'll favored indi-
vidual, as he retired and stood with his hands
outstretched, and graspng the opposite ex-
tremty of the rope, ready at the given sig
nal to launch the prisoner into eternity
Coolly Michal gazed upon him, with per-
haps nearly as much Indifference as though
measuring the proportions Of brawny OK.
He was a tall, bony, square faced and red
whiskered giant, standing some six feet in
his socks and with the proportions of Her
cules. No doubt he had often taken part in
similar scenes, for he stood with calm, sto
lid and unruffied countenance, his brawny
arms resting on the rope, some six inches
Having finished his hSrrangue, Harrison
turned, and drawing his sabre, called out to
the hangman- ,2 .
"Tghten away now, my boy, and give
the devil his due!''
Then came a moment Of intense silence.
Even that drunken and brawling mob, so
loud in their cries but q moment before,
stood hushed and mute. The hangman ad-
vanced his foot-his huge hands were clinch-
ed around the rope, which already began to
tighten under his grasp, and already he be-
gan to feel thelweight of his victim, when
his arm fell to his 'sideA-i iand his knees gave
way under him, and he dropped a lifeless
corpse upon the ground, as the report of a
we'll aimed rifle rang upon the ear from the
margin of the swamp in their front. a.l
Then was heard a rdstling as of the wind
among the tree-tops-then the trampling of
feet-then the .clanking of sabres rattling
against their steel scabbards-and with the
command to "charge" uttered in the tones
that fell upon the ear like thunder, fearfully
there ooned out from the shadows of the
swamp long dusky line of horsemen, with
clattering hoofs and cleaning sabres, rush
ing in swift noisy and deadly array upon the
terror stricken and pale checked tories, who
screamedfor mercy and fled wildly and blind
| L., r.. * =, rloca ~ irafnoas~ Rut the avnn-