The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-09-11
MEADE'S ARMY.
Two Men Shot for DeSertion.
The Military Funeral Procession.
THE PLACE OF EXECUTION.
One Of the Prisoners Shot Three
Times.

Last Friday it was my painful duty to
witness the execution Of private Jesse
Mayberry, Of Company G, Seventy first
Pennsylvania Volunteers, for desertion,
and this day two more for the same crime.
They all belonged to the Second Division.
No printed orders were issued, and many
of the First Division only heard of the
execution this morning, when they began
to inquire as to who were to fill the two
graves which were being dug in front of
Jesse Mayberrys.
Two days ago l heard that three men
had been sentenced to be shot for deser-
ton Their names were VIM. B. Hill,
Company B, Twentieth Massachusetts
Eugene Sullivan, Company F, of the same
regiment, and John Smith, of the First
Company of Andrew Massachusetts,
Sharpshooters.
A RETRIEVE.
Three were sentenced to be shot to
death with musketry but two, however,
suffered; for one was reprieved-Eugene
Sullivan-his extreme youth, the request
Of the officers that his life might be spared,
his previous good character, and the palli-
ating circumstances attending his crime,
deciding General Meade to suspend the
execution of his sentence until the will of
the President should be known.
THE PRIsONERs-TIIEIR HISTORY
AT noon to-day, while the condemned
were eating their last meal, visited them,
having received permission to do SO, if
they expressed any desire to see Inc, for
the purpose of making any request or state
ment for publication
l found Smith and Hill seated on boxes.
They ate their dinner, which consisted of
beefsteak, bread and coffee, with apparent
relish and a good appetite
They were confined in an old log barn.
Two sentineIs kept guard over the prison.
ers with loaded rifles and fixed bayonets.
Both men were glad to see me; for both
were anxious to tell much for publication.
JOHN SMITH
Was the first to state his history. He was
good-looking man, smart and intelligent.
AS soon as / entered the building l was
struck with this mans looks and appear
ance. His cOuntenance was pleasant and
cheerful, the features were prominent and
we'll formed, with ruddy face and calm,
clear eye. His hair and whiskers were of
sandy color, and the latter joined heavy
moustache, leaving the chin closely shaver,
thus giving him military look His clothes
were very neat and clean. His height was
about five feet nine inches. To my ques-
tons he answered that his right name was
John Smith. He is a native of Philadel-
phia, was tailor by trade, and resided in
Boston, Mass, when the war broke out.
He was thirty-seven years of age last Feb
ruary. Smith was married man, but had
no children. His father and five brothers
are living, some of the latter being in the
service. He enlisted in Captain Plumbers
company Of Andrew Sharpshooters about
the 1st of December, 1862. He said that
he was in the battle of Fredericksburg,
"and did my duty, as the officers will say
at any time About the middle of Janu-
airy, 1868, he deserted his company, which
was then at Falmouth, attached to the Fiji
teenth Massachusetts Regiment. He said
that large numbers were deserving about
that time, and when he left his company
he did not think of the consequences. The
morning that he deserted he fell into the
company Of some men who had liquor. He
drank to excess, and while, intoxicated
said that he should like to get home, when
his new friends answered that that was easy
enough, for all that he had got to do was
to staff now that he had the chance. He
said that the men were unknown to him,
and even if he knew them he would not
expose them.
When we reached home he did not feel
satisfied, and felt that he ought to get
back to the army again, and had made up
his mind to re-enter the service by join
ing Colonel Frankle's artillery regiment,
as he had particular friend there. This
friend advised him not to enlist at that
time, as he was going to have furlough,
and that when it expired it would be time
enough.
About this time Mr.. William Ayres,
carpenter residing in Walrham, Massachu-
sets, was drafted. He met Smith, and
proposed paying him the sum of three
hundred dollars as a substitute, preferring
to do this to going to the substitute Office.
Smith said that after some persuasion he
took the money and agreed to 60 as a sub
stitute, though he did not want to 60 as
such. He gave his name as Thomas
w dCOi .. liz Day Vildt LIS lIlChtiOAS WSAC
good at the time; but they (the officers)
do not look at it in that way.
d. .-.fta 80 VIM. z. HILL,
of Company K, Twentieth Massachusetts
Volunteers, was man about five feet six
inches in height, was not very progresses
ing either in his face or dress, the former
wearing look of blank indifference. and
the latter dirty and torn. He appeared to
be the least excited of the two. He was
nineteen years of age and was born in
North Brookield, Massachusetts,; was a
laborer before he enlisted; has an aged
father, two brothers and three sisters. He
was unmarried. He enlisted on the four
teenth day of July, 1861, in the Twentieth
Massachusetts, regiment. He said that a
man got him drunk and had him sworn in
before he knew what he was about. Up
to the battle of Antietam he followed this
regiment without arms. The reason he
gives was that the regiment was short Of
| guns and could notget any. After the bat
| Al e %soko h