Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-01-16

Il
iovial and agreeable officer at all times,
did not for a second imagine, even should
he refuse my request, that he could De
otherwise than courteous and polite, al
though acting at the time IN an ofhclal
character on parade. l was, however,
greatly mistaken, for, turning towards me
with flushed and angry countenance, he
in a threatening and shrill tone OF voice.
and not the most measured terms, order
ed me instantly to fall into my place; ana
as completely ''token aback, fastened
to obey, the major next summoned the
drummers sto do their duty" The tall
drum-maior. cane in hand, now advanced
to enforce this command, and likewise to
keep an accurate account of the number
of Iashes laid on the unfortunate prison
er's back. One of the drummers, already
stripped to his shirt-sleeves, and armed
with the instrument of punishment (nine
knotted lengths ofwhip cord fastened to
a short wooden handle) called scat"
now approached, and taking his stand a
little to the left and rear of the prisoner,
silently awaited the word to commence.
The monosyllable zone" sharply pro-
nounced by the drum-major, was the sig
nal for the tails of the scat to fly aloft,
and after circling round the drummer's
head. to descend with a whirring sound
upon the prisoners naked back. A slight
quivering of the muscles, and nine dis
tinctly traced crimson stripes on the
smooth white skin, was the result of the
first application of the "cat." The pause
! of a few seconds then ensued. 1.-TWO"
was now uttered in the same sententious
tone of voice, and the drum-major con-
tinued thus to keep Cd reckoning, with
out any other visible effect on the prison
er's demeanour, save as the punishment
proceeded, an increased quiyering, mus
cular agitation of the body and limbs ;
for as yet he uttered not a sound of wall
ing or complaint, although his clenched
teeth and compressed features bore suf-
ficient evidence of the tortue he under
went whilst the marks of the knotted
whipcord-which at first red and clear
ly defined along his left shoulder and
back-by degrees assumed a dull bruised
dark-bluish hue and at the conclusion
of the first twenty-five lashes, streaks o.
blood were here and there family to be
discerned. The drum-major having duly
registered on his tablets the number
twenty-five" a fresh drummer, with 8
fresh instrument of punishment now toob
the post of his predecessor, and was il
his turn relieved after administering ad
ditional stripes. As the punishment pro
ceeded, the pangs of the unfortunate sui
ferer appeared greatly to increase, ant
his whole back-Iike raw meat in
bruised and and unwholesome state-a
last presented a shining dark red mass 0
moist and quiyering flesh, on which thu
, whip-cord, saturated with blood, now fel
with dull and heavy sound. The lashe
of the sea" clotted and entangled will
gore, had frequently to be cleaned by tn,
officiating drummer passing his finger
through the cords. The prisoner had, W
to this period, borne his punishment will
/ silent fortitude and resignation at thi
stage of the disgusting exhibition the
, wretched mans courage and endurance
, began to fail. Nature was forced to civ,
vent to these protracted suferings a
first by slight and stifled groans thel
as if frantic under the prolonged torture
by wailing and piteous cries till at las
piercing shrieks of agony escaped from
the laboring breast of the poor lacerate,
: and struggling wretch, to whose compress
. ed lips and parched mouth the can O
water was more than once applied; willis
an occasional break in the ranks, from .
tainting recruit being obliged to fall Il
the rear, sufficiently testified the effect s,
terrible an example produced on many
OF the spectators of this bloody scene
/ For my own part, although not constitu
tlonally "faint-hearted," still the spectacl,
of such cruel and prolonged suffering
caused sickening sensation to Greer
gradually through my frame but l de
termined, after the rebuke I had receiv
ed, if possible, to continue at my post
Between the hundred and and fftietl
and the two hundreth lash, the suferin.
OF the prisoner appeared-judging from
his demeanour-to be rather less acute
his mangled and bleeding back, deadene,
oy the repeated blows, was hence, per
maps, more insensible to pain, for, al
though the blood then trickled in crimson
} s'reamlets down his although a