Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-04-16

Dht 5ttauty dUu W tuc ldst uc III
fused all disclosures, and il was not till his
tormentors were weary Of their brutal work
that the task Of subdding their victim was
abandoned as hopeless This youth is an
orphan, without any Of the advantages of
education. Soon after the rebellion broke
out, though but eighteen years OF age, he
left bis trade aud threw himself into the
ranks Of our armies as o volunteer; and now,
though still suffering from the outrages com
mitted on bis person in the South, he is on
his way to rejoio his regiment, seeming to
love his country only the more for all that
he has endured 10 its defense.
His subdued and modest manner, while
narrating the part he had borne in this expe-
dition, showed him 10 be wholly unconsci.
Gus of having done anything more tbaa
perform his simple duty as soldier Such
Spartan fortitude. and such fidelity to the
trusts Of friendship and 70 the inspirations
OF patriotism, deserve an enduring record in
the archives Of the Government, and will
lind IL, am sure, in the hearts of loyal
people. H c 1i' H ''
The twenty-five captives, when secured,
were thrust into the negro Jail at Uhatta-
nooga. They occupied single room, half
under ground, and but thirteen feet square,
50 that there was not space enough for
them all to lie down together, and part of
them were, In consequence, obliged to sleep
sitting and leaning against the walls. The
only entrance was through trap door in
the ceiling, that was raised twice day to
let down their scaLty meals, which were
lowered in bucket. i'7 -ife.
| They had no other light or ventilation
than that which came through TWO small,
triple grated windows They we're covered
with swaImiDg vermn, and the heat was so
oppressive that they were often obliged to
strip themselves entirely Of their clothes to
bear it. Add to this, they were all hand
cuffed, and, with trace chains secured By
padlocks around their necks, were fastened
to each other, 10 companies of two and
three. Their food, which was doled out to
them .wicc day, consisted Of a little -four,
wet with water and baked in the form OF
bread, and spoiled picked beef.
They had no opportunity of procuring any
supplies from the outside, nor had they asy
means Of doing so; their pockets having
been rified of their last cent by the CoBfed
crate authorities, prominent among whom
was an officer wearing the rebel uniform OF
a Major. No part Of the money thus base
ly taken was ever returned. .3
During this imprisonment at Chattanoo-
ga their leader, MIR. Andrews, was tried and
condemned as spy, and was subsequently,
executed at Atlanta, the 8th of June They
were strong and in perfect health when they
entered this negro JAIL bur at the end OF
someting more than three weeks, when they
were required To leave,it, they were so ex-
] hausted from the treatment to which they
had been subjected, o. scarcely 10 be able To
walk, aud several staggered from weakness
as they passed through the streets TO the
cars. -lJ ,-ni
Finally, twelve of the number, including
the five who have deposed, and Mr.. Mason
of company K, Twenty first regiment Of
| Ohio Volunteers, who was prevented by i'll
ness from giving his evidence. were trans
ferred to the prison at Knoxville, Tenn
Ou arriving tn ,re, seven OF them were ar
ranged before court. martial, charged with
summary. They were permitted 10 be pres
ent, but not to hear either the argument OF
their own counsel or that Of the judge ad-
vooate. Hl- f-
Their counsel, however, afterwards visit.
ed the prison and read to them the written
defence which he made before the Court in
their behalf. The substance of that paper
is thus stated by one of the witnesses, Cor
poral Pittenger: He 1.-THE counsel) con.
tended that our being dressed in citizens
clothes was nothing more than what the
! Confederate Government itself had author
4 ICED, and was only what all the guerrillas 10
the service OF the Confederacy did on all Oc-
! casions when it would be an advantage "a
j them to do so; and he recited the instances
1 OF General Morgan having dressed his men
/ in the uniform of our soldiers, and passed
them off as being from the Eighth Pennsyl-
yania cavalry regiment, and by that means
succeeded in reaching railroad and de-
i strying it. t3iils ao hHf p. p -il712
/ This instance was mentioned to show that
our being in citizens clothes did not take
4 from US the protection awarded to prisoners
OF war. The plea went on further to state
that we had told the subject of our exped
ltion; that il was purely military one fol
the destruction Of communication, and as
such, lawful according to the rules OF war.
This just and unanswerable presentation
of the care appears to have produced it
appropriate impression. Several member
, of the court. martial afterwards called upoI
, the prisoners and assured them that, iron
: the evidence against them, they could no
: be condemned as spies;i that they had com
for u certain known object, and not hayin
.. fingered about or visited any OF the camps
), obtaining or seeking information, they coul
!, not be convicted. Soon thereafter all th
!. prisoners we're removed TO Atlanta, Geor
y sia, and they left Knoxville under belle
= that their comrades, who had been tried
70 either had been or would be acquitted.
/, In the meantime, however, the views er
= = tertaiped aud expressed TO them by tn
. . members Of the court were overcome, it ma
, be safely assumed, under the prom ptings o
I, the remorssless despotsm at Richmond. :
'sel On the 18th OF June, after their ARRIVAL q
!, ATLANTA, where they Iejoined the comrade
= from whom they had been separated ,
= Chattanooga, their prison door was opened
: & the death sentence ofth seven who hal
g been tried at Knoxville was read to them
!, = No time for preparation was allowed then
! They were told to bid their friends fare
!. = well, '''and to be quick about it." The
. . were at once tied and carried out to execu
: ton. Among tho seven was private Samus
= Robinson, Company e., Thirty-third Obi
z Volunteers, who was too Ill TO walk. ii
4 x was, however, piuioned like the rest, and
: in this condision, was dragged iromthe fOe
= on which he was lying to the scatiold. i
! 2 q an hour or more the cavalry escort, whic
= had accompanied them, was seen returnin
: with the cart, but the cart was elDpty-th
y tragedy had been nconsuminatedlI ie9iil
lf.l. a.