St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-01-17

out the consolation Of giving her last bles
sing to her only child, and in which he
again solicited leave of absence, saying tina
che could not state his reason for this re
qucst-it was family secrct'-but earn
est]y imploring the colonel not to deny hin
this favor.
Pierre's second letter was as little sue
cessful as the first The poor fellows cap
tain merely said:
"Pierre, the colonel has received YOU,
letter; he is sorry for tho death of you,
old mother, but he cannot grant the leave
Of absence you require, as the regiment
leaves Strasburg tomorrow"
""Ah! Tie regiment leaves Strasburg
and for what place, may I ask your" said
Pierre.
| "For AUSTRIA y replied his officer. awe
are to see Vienna, my brave Pitois; We
arc to fight the Austrians. Is not that
good news for you? You will be in your
element, my fine fellow"
Pierre Pitois made no reply he seemed
lost in deep thought. The captain caught
his hand, and, shaking it heartily, he
said s.:
"Why do you not speak, man? Are
you deaf to-day? I am telling that, in
less than week you are to have the plea
sure of a sct-to with the Austrians, and
you have not one word of thanks for the
good news; nay, I verify believe you have
not even heard me-"
"lndecd, Captain, I have heard every
word, and thank you, with all my heart
for your news, which I consider very good"
81 thought you would" said the officer.
"But, Captain, is there no chance of OBJ
tanning the leave Of absence ?''
Are you mad ?" was the reply. "Lcave
Of absence the very day before taking the
81 never thought Of that" said Pierre.
owe are, then, on the point of taking the
field, and at such time, / suppose, leave
is never given % .''..,.,.,..a
cit is never even asked" .: .:.:n,
otis quite right~-it is never even asked.
1t would have the appearance of cowar-
dice We'll, then, I will not press it any
more / will7try and get on without it,"
- "And you. will DO we'll" replied the
Captain. .'r. ,:,.
he next day; the twelfth regiment y;;;1 en- IN.
tered Germany; and the next-Pierre Pi:
tots deserted. - Y,.y@ .rH".e'....> ..-":,
y Three mouths: after, when. the twelfth
regiment, having reaped >, in: the field OF
battle an abundant harvest Of glory, was
making its triumpbal entry into Strasburg,
Pierre Pitois was ignominiously dragged
back to his corps gems d'arnacs A court
martial is Immediately called. Pierre Pi-
tots is accused of having deserted at the
very moment when his regiment was tc
meet the enemy face to face. The court
presented singular spectacle. On the
one side, stood forth the accuscr, who
cried:
"Pierre Pitois, you, one of the bravcs1
mon in the army you, on whose breast
tie. star OF honor yet glitters you, who
never incurred either punishment or cen
sure from your officers; you could not
have quilted your regiment-quitted it on
almost the eve of battle-without some
powerful motive to impel you This mo
tive the court demands of you; for it would
gladly have it in its power, if not to acqui,
you-which it ought not, perhaps, either
to do or to desire-at least to recommend
you to the Emperor's mercy"
On the other side stood the accused, who
answered:
Il have deserted without any reason
without any motive; I do not repent. II
it were to do again. I deserve death
pass sentence"
And then come some witnesses who de.
posed:
i "Pierre Pltois is mad; the court can.
not condemn madman. He must be
sentenced, then, not to death, but to tho
lunatic asylum
This alternative had very nearly beer
adopted, for there was not one person il,
the court who did not consider the deser
ton of Pierre Pitois as one of those singu.
lar circumstances beyond the range of hu,
man possibilities, which, while every ono
is forced to admit as a fact, no one car
account for or comprehend. The accused
however, pleaded guilty most positively
and was most pertinacious in his demand
for the just penalty of the law to be in
! hicted on him. He 50 boldly and fearless.
" avowed his crime, continually repeating
that:he did not regret it that at length his
frmness assumed the character Of BRAY.
ado, and left no room for clemency. Sen.
tence of death was therefore pronounced
Pierre Pitois heard his sentence read
with the most unAinching gaze. They
warmly urged him to plead fol- mercy, but
he refused. AS every one guessed that
at the bottom of this affair there was some
strange mystery, it was determined that
the execution of Pierre should be DELAYED
He was carried back to the military
prison, and it was announced to him, that
as mark of special favor, he had three
days given him to press for pardon. HI
shrugged his shoulders and made no re.
ply: ...> =.
4 In the middle Of, the night. on which
N, u,e IA .d.,un fhn 1av fivnd for tho on,v1on,,