Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-13
Execution of a FederaI seont.


"PersOnne," the army correspondent OF
the Charleston s. C.) Courier writes un-
der date of August 2Sd, the following &C
count of the hanging of Federal scout
To-day has been further signalized by
the hanging Of spy-a man named Chas.
Mason, of Perrysville, Pennsylvania 1t
appears that as one Of the couriers of Cen
eral Longstreet was carrying an order, he
was met by this man, who inquired whose
division do you belong tO2 Longstreets.'
The courier then asked, whose division do
you belong to 2 sJackson's,' was the re-
ply. a gray Confederate uniform favored
the idea, and conversation ensued. As
the two Travelled together, the courier OBJ
served that there was a disposition on the
part Of his companion to drop behind, and
finally he was astonished BY pistol pre-
sented to his breast, and demand for the
delivery Of the papers he carried in his
belt. Having no other recourse, the latter
surrendered the documents, when the spy
deliberately shot him in the back, and ran.
Soon after the courier was found by some
of his friends, and narrated the particu-
lars of the affair, describing the man so
minutely, that when subsequently arrest
ed, he was known beyond a peradventure
He had, for instance, two defective front
teeth, was a pale-faced, determined-lOoking
and quick-spoken person. .lEE
A search was at once instituted, but for
tunately he fell into our hands by his own
foolishness 1t is stated-but 1 do not
youch for this-that this morning the spy
rode up to General Jones, who was at the
head of his column, and said: General, I
am the chief courier of General Jackson;
He directed me to request you to order your
column to be reversed at once. The order
was Of course given, and the pretended
courier rode away. His next exploit was
to ride up to the Colonel Of one of our reg
iments, and give him the same command
he had given TO Jones.
The Colonel was q shreWd officer, how
ever, and remarked, am not in the habit
Of receiving my orders from General Jack
SON. well, sir, these were my orders
from him to you What cavalry are you
from p The courier hesitated moment
and said from the Hampton Legion In
whose division and brigade is that?' asked
the Colonel. This confused him still more,
and he could only reply, I don't know.
have forgotten. Being then taken into
custody and examined several papers
were found upon his person written in
shorthand and an abbreviated long hand,
embracing the information he had obtain
ed. A pair of lieutenants shoulder straps
were also concealed in his pocket These
discoveries being made, the man confessed
that he was Yankee, and belonged TO the
Union army, but in the capacity of an in
dependent scout He admitted, further,
that he had observed and reported the
movements of our army, but denied having
killed the courier. He claimed that it was
done by party of Texans with whom he
was travelling.
"The various facts being conclusive, the
court martial by which he was tried had
little hesitation in finding him guilty, and
sentencing him to be hung. The execution
took place this afternoon, under the direc-
tion Of General Evans, in the presence Of
his brigade and large number of soldiers
The prisoner was mounted on n horse his
hands tied behind him, and he was driven
beneath a tree. The rope, which was
little larger than an ordinary BEDFORD,
then being adjusted, he was ordered to
stand upon the saddle. As he did so,
soldier gave a sharp cut to the animal, and
in a second more the spy was jerking con-
vulsively from the limb above him. He
met his fate with great 'stoicism, and ap-
peared perfectly satisfied with what he had
accomplished, but to the last denied all
participation in the act of shooting Long
streets courier. he said he had an uncle
and aunt living in Clarke county, Virgin
ia, and that the latter had made him the
Confederate uniform which he wore"