Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-10-30
NO. 81.
Execution of Reuben Stout on JOhnson's Island

Execution Of Reuben Stout on Johnson's IsIand
Reuben Stout company K, Goth Indiana
3 convicted of desertion and the murder of Sol
omon Hoffman, at Madison, Carroll County
i Indinna, on the I4th of March last, was sboa
on Friday last.
The execution was on the bay shore in front
OF the prison yard. The Hoffman Battalion
was formed in hollow square, open on the
bay side, where the prisoner was seated on his
coffin. Colonel Pierson and staff were within
the square. The execution party was in com
; mand of Lieutenant McEIroy, Provost Mar
shall The orders and sentence were read bv
Lieutenant Bailey, Post Adiutant. Portions
of the prisoners statement, as herewith given,
were then read by the chaplain, it being too
lengthy to be read entire. Prayer was offered
in English by the chaplain, and also by the
Rev. NJ. Miller, Pastor of the German Church
in Sandusky, in the German language. lL
Stout left a statement, which is published
in the Sandusky papers, from which we ex-
tract the following:
staid with my company and regiment un-
til November 25, 1862, when we got fur
Tough to go home-the regiment having been
captured at Crane River, Kentucky, and pa
rolled as prisoners Of war. We were sent to
indianapolis to be exchanged and draw arms
again. All the men Of the regiment got fur
loughs for few days to go home to their
friends. / went home and stayed out nv
time, then started to go to my regiment.
went as far as Lafayette, my wife and her sis
ter going as far as Dayton, Indiana. / took
sick at Lafayette, and stayed there about five
days. My father-in-law then took me home
TO his house to stay till I got well. After I
had been there about two weeks, Twas advised |
by various persons not to go back to the army |
They said this was only an abolition war" |
and advised me to stay at home and they |
would protect me. was induced to 90 to |
a meeting of the so-callcd "Knights of the |
Golden Circle" and was made member Of
that organization. The obligation Of the or
der bound Us to do all we could against the
war-tO resist the draft IL one should be made.
and likewise to resist and oppose all eonfisca-
tion or emancipation measures, in every DOS
sible way. We were sworn to stand by each
other in all measures of resistance We were
pledged to do all we could to prevent aDother
man or dollar going from the State for the
further prosecution of the war. met with
this secret meeting several times, and entered
into their views and plans
After detailing the circumstances of the
killing of Hoffman, who was ordered to arrest
him as deserter, Stout says
was led by evil counsels, and my connec-
tion with secret trateorous organization, to
stay away from my post of duty in the army
[ am truly sorry that acted thus, or that l
for a moment listened to these evil counsels.-
1 am sorry that ever lifted my hand against
the life of my feIlow-mau. think the man
who came to arrest me did not act right, but /
10 not excuse myself for my wrong-doing on
that account.
would afectiODately and earnestly urge all in
the service of their country not to do as /
nave done, but to be faithful to their obliga-
ions as soldiers, avniding all disloyal counsels
md obligations. va-H.a7 Ht