The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-09-10

| DAY.7-On The evening Of The 4tiis inst.
ten desertcrs from the Sd North Carolina
infantry, Of Gen. Geo. II. Stewards 8 bri-
gade, Johnson's division, fwelrs corps.
| arrived at the camp of the division, near
Orange Court House, under charge of a
guard from this city At the same time
there arrived at the Headquarters of the
division an order from the Department
Of iIcnrico directing that these men,
charged with desertion and the murder
of Adjutant Mallett, be executed at such
time and place as the division comman-
der should direct From division head
quarters an order was Immediately issued
to have the execution take place at
o'clock on the following day. At aalf
past 3 O'Clock on the afternoon OF the
5th the troops Of the division were
promptly formed on three sides Of a
square, with side arms and without
colors, whilst ten stakes ranged in a
row on the fourth side showed where the
execution would take place. A few min
utes later the prisoners arrived upon the
ground, preceded by the officer Of the
day, the music of the brigade playing
the dead march, and escorted by a detail
from the brigade guard. The bearing of
the prisoners was calm and sclt-posses.
sed, and they marched to the place their
execution with step as accurate in It's
cadence as that Of the guard who con
ducted them.
On arriving upon the grounds the pri-
soners here irOnted to the division, who
had been paraded to witness their death.
The officer of the day read the orders re-
citing their offences, their sentences, and
the time and place Of their execution -
This ceremony concluded, the Chaplain
Of the Sd C. infantry kneeled with the
prisoners, and in most fervent manner
read the ritual Of the Episcopal service
for the condemned. The prisoners joined
in the act of devotion with fervor. The
soldiers who were there to witness the
execution of their comrades, used as they
were TO the blood and carnage of twenty
batt4e~fieids, beifeld with uncomfortable
emotion the solemn preparation for the
execution of the condemned, and seemed
to be penetrated with the solemnity Of
the religious services which were being
carried on.
The services over the Chaplain blessed
and aiiectionately bid adieu TO each prl-
soner-the non commissioned officers of
the ten different firing parties rapidly
carried the prisoners each to his own
stake, where, after kneeling, their arms
were pinioned behind the stake and their
eyes bandage,t TO shut out the sight of the
muzzles of the nuskets levelled not more
than ten PAGES from them.
At this part Of the proceedings, and
whilst the firing parties were being de-
ployed into one rank, the more efiectu
ally TO deliver their fire, the prisoners
broke out into loud and frequent appeals
to the -.lnl;ghty 10 have mercy ON their
souls and pardon their sins, The prepa
rations being concluded, the officer of
the day gave the command ready" and
the clicking of the locks alone broke the
silence that prevailed; ''aim!" and the
muzzles of the guns were pointed with
unerring aim at the breasts of the mise
rable condemned, and the very breathing
of the crowd seemed stopped in a terri
ble suspense; fire. and the corpsss of
ten men hung in the horrible relaxation
of death to the stakes where they were
pinioned.
The troops of the division filed by the
dead bodies in melancholy processon,
and the field, being vacated by all but
the detail for burial, was as silent and
solemn in the evening gloom as the pain
ful scene of which it had been the thea
tire. So perish those who would btray
their country in its hour of need and
peril. The sentence OF these men was
as inst as their execution was prompt
Necessity demanded their blood-.iustice
and even fearful mercy sane
toned il.