Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1862-11-12
A linton Commandoi Shoots Ten Re.
bells IN Retaliation for a Supposed
Murder


NiNel caused ten icItl soldiers 90 bc shot
,t psnuNn. Mo. ON no slh inst The
r1uss of The trudcdy nsd particulars OF the
execution are given ns follows:
From 'ho Palmyra, No. Couricrl
When the rebels entered Palmyra, an
old resident OF thc place, Andrew Allsman
Iy name misleiiously disappeared, aud 1t
is supposcd be was murdered
When Gen. NJ Neil returned to Palmy-
"a, after that event, and ascertained the
circumstances under which ALTMAN had
been abducted, he caused to be issued a
notice that if the missing man was not
returned within ten days, he would now
retalate upon the rebel prisoners in his
hands.
The ter days elapsed and no tidings
came Of the man. The tenth day expired
with last Friday On that day ten rebel
prisoners, already in custody, were selec'
led to pay, With their lives the penalty de-
manded. The names OF tho men so selec'
ted were as follows: Willis Baker, Lewis
county; Thomas Humgton, do. Morgan,
Bixier, do. John y. M'Pheeters, DO. ;
Herbert lIutson, Rails county; John al.
Wade, do. Marion Lair. do. Capt. Thos.
A. Sidner, Monroe county; Eleazer Lake,
Scotland county and Hi!Nm Smith, Knox
county.
These parties were informed, on Friday
evening. that unless Mr.. Allsman was re-
turned to his family 10y one o'clock on the
the following day, they would all 6s shot
al that hour,
4 little after y o'clock, ~, the next
Qay, three,government wagons drove to
tho Jail. One contained four, and eacL
/ Of the Others three rough board collins
The coudemed men are conducted
from the prison a nd seated in the wagons
-one upon each coffin and conducted &c
the Fair Ground.
The ten coAinS were removed from the
wagons and placed in q row, six or eight
feet apart Thirty soldiers OF the "a NJ
is. NJ. were drawnup in asingIe line iac'ng
the row OF collins. The doomed mer
knalt upon the grass, between their cotlin'
and the sol dieIs, while the Rev. Il NJ
Rhodes offered up prayer. At the con.
clusion Ct this, each soldier took his sea-
|upon the foot OF his coffin facing the mus
kets. They were nearly al firm and un'
Idaunted. Two or three ouly showed sign
OF t.epidatiou.
The most noted Of the ten was Captain
! Thomas A. Snider, Of Monroe county liz
was now elegantly a.tired in suit O
black broadcoth, with white vest. 4
luxuriant growth Of beautiful hair role
down upon his shoulders. There was
nothing especially of note in the appear
ance of the others. One Of them, Willis
! Baker, Dewitt county was proven to be
| man who last year shot and killed Mr.,
| Ezekiel Pratte, his Union neighbor, rear
/ Williamstown, in that county. All the
|others were rebels Of lesser note.
| A few minutes after one o'clock, Colo
mel Strachan, provost marshal general
and Rev Mr. Rhoades shook hands with
! the prisoners. Two of them accepted ban
dages: the others refused. A hundre'
atre 10 witness the Impressive sceItr. riiv
stiffness of death pervaded the place.
The officer in command now steppe
forward and gave the word Of command
Ready -aim-fre " The discharges, how
ICver, wsre not made simultaneously-prC
badly through want Of previous ur del
standing Of the orders, and of the time c
which to fire. Two of the rebels fell natB
wards upon thoiI collins and died instant
Ily. Capt Sidner, sprang forward, an,
fell with his head towards the soldiers
his face upwards, his hands clasped upot
bis broast and the loft leg drawn half wa
up. lie did not move again, but died i'm
i mediately. He had requested the soldier
to aim at his heart, and they obeyed bu
too implicitly. The other seven were no
killed outright; so the reserves were call
ed, who dispatched them with their reyol
vers.
The liraless remains were then place
in the collins, the lids upon which tb
name OF each man was written) wer
screwed on, and the direful processio
returned to town by the same route tha
it pursued in roing.
Friends claimed and took seven Of In
corpses. They we're buried by the militia
ry in the public cemetery. The traded
was over