American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1862-12-05
Murder OF Ten Confederate Prisoners
at Plymouth.

"A lew days ago We published dis
patch from President Davis TO Gen
Holmes directing the latter officer to de-
mand the surrender of Gen. Mcneil for
the murder Of len Confederate soldiers in
Missouri. The murder of these prison
ers was such an act of cold blooded bru-
tally as to be without a parallel outside
the annals of the Sepoys We have not
yet given the horrible details Of this muir
derous affair. and although the tragedy
was enacted several weeks ago. We re-
produce from our exchanges an account
of it. and venture to hope that our gov
eminent will not recede one inch from
the demand OF The President.
The statement was first published in a
New York paper. that Brigadier- General
Mcneil had. in the early part of last
month. executed ten Confederate prison.
ers at Plymouth. in Missouri. because a
tory citizen Of that State had been car
ried off prisoner by our forces From
further accounts of the affair in the ene-
my's own publications it appears that the
missing man, Andrew Allsman. was a
legitimate prisoner of war that on the
descent of the Confederate forces upon
Palmyra he was captured by them; tina,
he belonged TO the Federal cavalry, but
that being too old to endure all the hard
ships of active duty. he was detailed as a
spy. being "frequently," as one Of the
Yankee papers states. "called upon for
information touching the loyalty of men,
which he always gave to the extent Of
his ability"
When Gen. Mcneil returned to Palmy
ra. he caused notice TO be issued that
unless Allsman was returned in ten days
be would shoot ten Confederate prisoners
as "a meet reward for their crimes,
among which was the illegal restraining
Of said Allsman of his liberty The
ten days elapsed. and the prisoner was
not returned. The following account OF
what ensued. is condensed from the
Palmyra Courier, a tory journal. without
any variation from the language in which
it describes the deed of the demons with
whom it was in sympathy Mississippi
The tenth day expired with last FRIDAY.
On that day ten rebel prisoners. already in
custody, were selected to pay with their lives
the penalty demanded. A little after eleven
o'clock, A NJ. the next day, three government
wagons drove to the Jail. One contained
four. aud each of the others three rough board
collins. The condemned men we're conducted
from the prison and seated in the wagons one
upon each coffin. A sufficient guard of sold
iers accompanied them, and the cavalcade
started for the fatal grounds. The ten collins
were removed from the wagons and placed in
row, six or eight feet apart, forming line
north and south. Each coffin was placed
upon the ground. with its foot west and head
east. Thirty soldiers of the I'd NJ s. NJ.
IL a
north and south, facing the row of collins.
The arrangements completed, the men knelt
upon the grass between their collins and the
soloiers. At the conclusion of a prayer by
the army chaplain, each prisoner took his
seat upon the foot of his coffin, facing the
muskets which in few moments were to
launch them into eternity. They were nearly
all firm and undaunted
Most noted of the ten was Captain Thomas
A. Sidner, of Monroe county, whose capture
at Shelbyyille, in the disguise of woman, we
related several weeks since. He now
elegantly attired in a suit of black broadcloth.
with white vest. luxurious growth of
beautiful hair rolled down upon his should
ers, which with his fine personal appearance,
could not but bring to mind the handsome
but viscious Absalom. There was nothing
especially worthy of note in the appearance
of the others. few moments after o'clock
the chaplain in attendance shook hands with
the prisoners. Two of them accepted ban
dages for the eyes, the rest refused A hun
bred spectators had gathered around the
amphitheatre to witness the impressive scene
The stiffness of death pervaded the place
The officer in command now stepped forward,
and gave the word of command-.Re Ready |
aim fire! 7 The discharges, however, were
not made OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES through
want of perfect previous understanding of
the orders to fire. Two of the rebels fell
backwards upon their collins and died in
stantly. Capt Sidner sprang forward and
fell with his head towards the soldiers, his
face upwards, his hands clasped upon his
breast. and the left leg drawn half way up.
He did not move again. but died Immediate
ly. He had requested tie soldiers to aim at
his heart. and they obeyed but too implicitly.
The other seven were not killed outright so
the reserves were called in who dispatched
them with their revolvers.''