Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-03-30

b first case Of an execution for the
crime Of desertion was had at Indianapolis
On Friday last. The offender was Robert
Cav. amember Of company D, list Indiana,
who deserted in September last at Rich
mond, Kentucky, and took the oath Of al
leeianee to the rebel Government. He was
captured, tried by cOurt-martialin Decem-
Der last and found guilty. The order Of
execution was issued by General Wrightst
Cincinnati, March 21st. The case was one
Of peculiar guilt. Gay deserted and re-
guested the privilege Of taking the oath OF
allegiance to the Confederacy, and came
back home with the written oath sewedin-
to the lining Of his clothes for perfect con-
cealment. The execution should at this
time be peculiarly impressed upon the
minds Of all deserters or absentees from
the army, whose day Of grace expires on
the LIST Of April, only day after tomorrow.
From and after that time every such Of
| fender is liable to the same awful fate as
that which befel Robert Gay, and the sol
der who wilfully disObeys the Presi-
dents order to return to duty by the tint
specified, will be drawing down over his
own eyes the cap which shrouded the eyes
of this victim, as he paid the terrible pen
atty.
Gay admitted his guilt in deserving,
but said it was not lone with the deliber-
ate purpose Of deserving his country, but
TO avoid further service. He was about
twenty-seven years Of age, and wal un-
married. His conduct while in jail was
unexceptionable. On the day Of execution
he made a feeling address to the occupants
Of the jail, urging them to q better life.
He was taken from jail about half-past
two, and conveyed in q carriage to the
place Of execution. He was wonderfully
cool through all the preliminsries TO his
death. When taken out Of the carriage
and walked to the place Of execution, as
he stood before the file Of men who were
to kill him, he showed no mark Of trepi-
dalton. Indeed, SO perfectly steady was
his attitude snd step, and so unrufled his
features, that several spectators never
knew that he was the doomed man until
the sergeant-Msj began tying his hands.
His dying speech was uttered without any
-tremulousness of tone, and without any
of thatincoherence which the most intelli-
gent men often exhibit under such circum-
stances.
The Journal says that even when he sat
down on his cofin, and the s~ergeant-Ma-
jor was blindfOlding him, he calmly drew
his knees up so as to set his feet against
the side Of the coffin, and steadied him
self on his terrible seat as if he was fix
ing an attitude for q photograph. He
heard the clicking Of the cocks Of the
guns of the firing party preparatory 10
their fearful duty, but even then, though
not a second lay between him and eterni-
ty, his audible prayer was uttered without
e groan or tremOr, in voice or limb.
Threats had been made by the copper
heads that they would rescue Gay from
the hands of the officers. To avoid any
possible opportunity of a conflict as well
as to prevent the attendance of a great
crowd, it had been given out that the exc
oution would take place at 5 O'Clock P. n.
The 7Ta. -n-iaanL Hha samA f~Am -hieh
Gay had deserted) was drawn up in a hol-
low square, with one side open, together
with other supports of infantry, cavalry
and artillery. The firing party consisted
Of twenty men, two from each company.
We quote from the Indianapolis Journal
the remaining details Of the tragedy which
was such q fearful warning to all dispOs-
ed to similarly offend:
WThus stood the man who was todie, and
the men who were to kill himl Happily
for the latter the army regulations pro.
vide a Wsyto keep every man who fires
from knowing whether he shares in the
death or not. The twenty guns are loaded,
ten with ball, and ten with heavy blank
cartridges. The soldiers who are to fire
do not see the loading done, and draw
their guns, as they come, out Of a confused
heap, so that no one can tell whether his
gun contains 3 ball or not. Thus each
man is furnished q reasonable probability
that he has no part in the bloodshed.
3The four men stood between the coffin
and the line of soldiers a few moments,
the prisoner, apparently the most unruf-
fed Of them all, and then Adjutant Brown
Of the list regiment stepped forward and
read clearly and distinctly the order Of
execution above quoted. The reading oc-
cupied two or three minutes. Then Col
Biddle stepped from the right Of the firing
party, and said, "Gay, hyOu have any
thing to say, you can say it now" The
prisoner, without changing his attitude,
with his soldier cap hanging In his right
hand, as he had pulled it off when the
reading Of the order began, with his plain
uniform coat buttoned over his breast, and
, his Well-Worn blue pautaloons tucked into
his red-topped boots, without q culver in
} his voice, OF the Wrenehing Of g muscle in
his face, began:
"FellOW soldiers: I am about to die fol
the crime nf desertion. Ihave done wrong.
But l did it u~nthoughtedIy. I 49, al
God to witness, before whom I must ap-
pear in q few minutes, that I did not mean
to commit 8 crime. If a man ever tells the
truth it is when he is about to die, and /
tell the truth when I say that 1 meant no
wrong. When 1 took the oath Of allegiance
I intended only to get home so that I might
stay, for 1 did not feel able for service
My health wa bad. II has always been
poor. I amin better health to-day than l
have ever been in my life. 1 meant to
stay at home and not join the enemy. I
never intended to desert my ooun-
try. But what 1 did was wrong, and I
confess it. IneTeF realized the fate that
awaited me till my sentence was read to
me. Then I felt that I had to die. I can